Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Tonsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,689 in Tonsberg, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Tonsberg
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Tonsberg Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,689 in Tonsberg, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Tonsberg $2,689

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $3,907 in Tonsberg, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Tonsberg $3,907

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $5,125 in Tonsberg, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Tonsberg $5,125

Cape Town is about 43% cheaper than Tonsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Tonsberg sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Tonsberg by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$21.07 NOK 196

-43.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$107 NOK 997

-60.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$16.30 NOK 151

-62.27%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$5.66 NOK 52.6

-58.13%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$5.47 NOK 50.8

-76.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$5.40 NOK 50.1

-82.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$11.98 NOK 111

-75.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$10.56 NOK 98.0

-65.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$2.59 NOK 24.04

-49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$3.75 NOK 34.78

-67.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$3.82 NOK 35.46

-42.41%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$4.87 NOK 45.22

-36.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$13.68 NOK 127

-36.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$15.70 NOK 146

-56.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$32.29 NOK 300

-71.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$3.43 NOK 31.81

-46.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.74 NOK 25.43

-28.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$3.61 NOK 33.51

-54.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$4.92 NOK 45.65

-56.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$2.71 NOK 25.11

-41.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$2.84 NOK 26.38

-48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$3.12 NOK 28.94

-56.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$2.41 NOK 22.38

-52.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$17.65 NOK 164

-79.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$16.86 NOK 156

-64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$3.62 NOK 33.61

-61.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$4.32 NOK 40.10

-49.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$4.58 NOK 42.55

-69.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$87.1 NOK 808

-30.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$12.43 NOK 115

-92.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.82 NOK 16.93

-50.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$71.7 NOK 665

-93.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$2.35 NOK 21.82

-34.47%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$49.2K NOK 456.8K

-28.16%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$45.0K NOK 417.3K

-25.79%

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

$117 R 1,918

$274 NOK 2,546

-57.32%

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

$25.71 R 421

$34.29 NOK 318

-25.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$55.4 NOK 514

-28.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$49.50 NOK 459

4.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$37.26 NOK 346

-69.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$17.65 NOK 164

-49.63%

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

$308 R 5,040

$247 NOK 2,289

24.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$13.4K NOK 124.0K

-39.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$105 NOK 972

-45.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$57.7 NOK 536

-45.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$129 NOK 1,200

-10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$162 NOK 1,503

-37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$1,274 NOK 11.8K

-17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$996 NOK 9,247

-32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$1,535 NOK 14.2K

21.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$1,304 NOK 12.1K

7.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$6,467 NOK 60.0K

-62.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$4,230 NOK 39.3K

-62.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$4,653 NOK 43.2K

-64.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

4.94

120.45%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Tonsberg

$996 37.1% 48.9% $327

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Tonsberg

$503 18.7% 125% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Tonsberg

$364 13.5% 99.8% $182

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Tonsberg

$410 15.2% 136% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Tonsberg

$204 7.6% 48.4% $67

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Tonsberg

$127 4.7% 77% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Tonsberg

$85 3.2% 22.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,274 in Tonsberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tonsberg are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $107 in Tonsberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $503 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇴 Tonsberg

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

23:48 11:48 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

59,237

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Tonsberg 10,400 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Tonsberg

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 Tonsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonsberg costs about 76% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $4,034 in Tonsberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,274 in Tonsberg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,689 in Tonsberg. That makes Cape Town about 43% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,689 in Tonsberg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,689 in Tonsberg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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