Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Szombathely

For one person, living is cheaper in Szombathely: $1,225 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Szombathely
Learn more

Szombathely Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Szombathely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Szombathely

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in Szombathely actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,225 in Szombathely, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Szombathely $1,225

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $1,940 in Szombathely, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Szombathely $1,940

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $2,654 in Szombathely, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Szombathely $2,654

Cape Town costs about 25% more than Szombathely, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Szombathely is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$11.50 Ft 3,728

4.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$52.5 Ft 17.0K

-18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$9.09 Ft 2,948

-32.34%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$2.46 Ft 798

-3.66%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.96

$1.30 Ft 422

-2.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$1.27 Ft 410

-25.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$1.71 Ft 553

73.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$2.34 Ft 759

57.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.24 Ft 401

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$1.62 Ft 524

-25.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$2.41 Ft 781

-8.71%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$3.14 Ft 1,017

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$10.11 Ft 3,277

-13.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$6.79 Ft 2,202

1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$16.24 Ft 5,263

-42.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$2.14 Ft 694

-14.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$2.06 Ft 667

-5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$2.36 Ft 764

-29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$3.30 Ft 1,071

-35.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$1.12 Ft 364

41.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$1.34 Ft 435

9.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$1.77 Ft 574

-23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$0.54 Ft 176

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$9.05 Ft 2,935

-60.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$4.59 Ft 1,489

31.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$1.27 Ft 412

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$2.56 Ft 830

-14.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$0.87 Ft 282

60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$26.23 Ft 8,503

131.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$2.68 Ft 869

-65.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$1.34 Ft 433

-32.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$23.61 Ft 7,652

-78.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$1.81 Ft 588

-14.92%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K R 582.8K

$27.2K Ft 8.8M

29.91%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K R 549.9K

$32.2K Ft 10.4M

3.77%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$117 R 1,929

$170 Ft 55.2K

-31.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.71 R 424

$20.96 Ft 6,795

22.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$20.74 Ft 6,721

90.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$50.3 Ft 16.3K

2.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

$17.98 Ft 5,829

-36.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$4.62 Ft 1,498

92.42%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$308 R 5,069

$422 Ft 136.8K

-27.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$7,515 Ft 2.4M

8.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$98.3 Ft 31.9K

-41.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$51.5 Ft 16.7K

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$94.8 Ft 30.7K

22.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$110 Ft 35.7K

-8.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$529 Ft 171.6K

97.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$329 Ft 106.7K

103.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$750 Ft 243.1K

148.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$637 Ft 206.4K

121.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

$2,390 Ft 774.8K

0.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$1,946 Ft 630.8K

-19.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$1,152 Ft 373.5K

41.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

7.5

45.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Szombathely

$329 26.9% 50.8% $340

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Szombathely

$253 20.7% 13.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Szombathely

$212 17.3% 16.4% $30

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Szombathely

$172 14.1% 1% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Szombathely

$160 13% 16% $22

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Szombathely

$39 3.2% 45.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Szombathely

$60 4.9% 14.3% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $529 in Szombathely. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Cape Town. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $52 in Szombathely. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $253 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇭🇺 Szombathely

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

17:46 5:46 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

77,757

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Szombathely 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Szombathely

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cape Town vs Szombathely: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 25% more than Szombathely, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $1,837 in Szombathely. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szombathely, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $529 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,225 in Szombathely. That makes Szombathely about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Szombathely. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Szombathely, where all-in costs run around $1,225, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Szombathely it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,225 in Szombathely to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Szombathely. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.