Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Tangier

For one person, living is cheaper in Tangier: $988 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Tangier
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Tangier Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Tangier

🇲🇦 Morocco

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Tangier actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $988 in Tangier, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Tangier $988

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,506 in Tangier, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Tangier $1,506

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $2,023 in Tangier, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Tangier $2,023

Cape Town costs about 59% more than Tangier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Tangier is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$5.13 MAD 49.91

129.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$35.39 MAD 345

31.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$6.83 MAD 66.5

-12.74%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.15 MAD 20.93

14.88%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$0.76 MAD 7.45

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.38 MAD 3.73

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$5.90 MAD 57.4

-48.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$5.07 MAD 49.36

-27.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.02 MAD 9.94

36.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.15 MAD 11.21

3.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.62 MAD 15.82

30.25%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$1.78 MAD 17.35

69.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$9.61 MAD 93.6

-6.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$6.95 MAD 67.7

-4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$12.79 MAD 124

-27.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.54 MAD 15.03

18.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.39 MAD 13.57

36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$0.77 MAD 7.48

127.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.75 MAD 7.30

178.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.61 MAD 5.91

154.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.63 MAD 6.17

136.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.46 MAD 4.46

182.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.55 MAD 5.32

110.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$3.96 MAD 38.58

-6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$9.23 MAD 89.8

-34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$3.78 MAD 36.77

-63.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$3.83 MAD 37.31

-42.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.39 MAD 3.78

287.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$15.32 MAD 149

297.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$0.69 MAD 6.68

-8.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$0.92 MAD 8.93

66.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$9.12 MAD 88.8

-47.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.41 MAD 13.78

12.06%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$33.5K MAD 325.9K

6.03%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$28.5K MAD 277.5K

11.38%

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

$116 R 1,920

$73.6 MAD 716

58.21%

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

$28.37 R 468

$12.83 MAD 125

121.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$37.86 MAD 369

7.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$29.22 MAD 284

67.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$34.97 MAD 340

-68.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$7.02 MAD 68.4

25.78%

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

$261 R 4,314

$91.7 MAD 893

185.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$5,898 MAD 57.4K

13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$34.94 MAD 340

58.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$47.25 MAD 460

-31.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$95.7 MAD 931

22.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$101 MAD 983

6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$464 MAD 4,514

118.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$305 MAD 2,972

134.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$839 MAD 8,164

114.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$493 MAD 4,804

169.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$1,707 MAD 16.6K

36.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$1,171 MAD 11.4K

29.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$490 MAD 4,773

233.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

3.67

198.91%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tangier: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Tangier

$305 31.5% 57.3% $410

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Tangier

$217 22.4% 2.6% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Tangier

$124 12.8% 33% $61

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Tangier

$132 13.6% 24.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Tangier

$125 13% 10.7% $15

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Tangier

$22 2.3% 70.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Tangier

$43 4.5% 35% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $464 in Tangier. 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 234% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $35.00 in Tangier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $217 – making Tangier the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇦 Tangier

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

947,952

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

100 MAD = 10.27 USD

100 MAD = 9.17 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.74 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.91 MAD (100 MAD = 9.17 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Tangier 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Tangier

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 Tangier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 59% more than Tangier, 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 $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $1,482 in Tangier. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tangier, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $988 in Tangier. That's a gap of about 59%.

Public transport costs about 298% less in Tangier. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tangier, where all-in costs run around $988, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Tangier it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tangier costs $988 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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