Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ulsteinvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,730 in Ulsteinvik, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Ulsteinvik
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Ulsteinvik Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Ulsteinvik

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,730 in Ulsteinvik, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Ulsteinvik $2,730

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $4,115 in Ulsteinvik, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Ulsteinvik $4,115

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $5,500 in Ulsteinvik, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Ulsteinvik $5,500

Cape Town is about 44% cheaper than Ulsteinvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Ulsteinvik sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Ulsteinvik by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$21.17 NOK 196

-43.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$109 NOK 1,011

-60.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$15.95 NOK 148

-61.44%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$5.61 NOK 52.1

-57.75%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$4.22 NOK 39.17

-69.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$3.16 NOK 29.34

-70.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$11.82 NOK 110

-74.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$10.54 NOK 97.8

-64.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$2.58 NOK 23.97

-48.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$3.67 NOK 34.03

-67.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$3.94 NOK 36.60

-44.16%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$4.82 NOK 44.73

-35.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$13.60 NOK 126

-35.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$16.04 NOK 149

-57.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$31.54 NOK 293

-70.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$3.37 NOK 31.28

-45.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.65 NOK 24.63

-26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$3.52 NOK 32.65

-52.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$4.91 NOK 45.60

-56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$2.69 NOK 25.00

-41.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$2.86 NOK 26.50

-48.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$3.00 NOK 27.87

-55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$2.31 NOK 21.40

-50.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$18.06 NOK 168

-80.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$16.63 NOK 154

-63.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$3.61 NOK 33.51

-61.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$4.45 NOK 41.25

-51.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$4.59 NOK 42.60

-69.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$86.8 NOK 806

-30.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$12.22 NOK 113

-92.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.86 NOK 17.25

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$70.8 NOK 657

-92.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$2.35 NOK 21.79

-34.47%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

$48.6K NOK 451.1K

-27.26%

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

$45.4K NOK 421.4K

-26.51%

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

$117 R 1,918

$276 NOK 2,559

-57.55%

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

$25.71 R 421

$34.76 NOK 323

-26.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$54.3 NOK 504

-27.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$49.14 NOK 456

5.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$37.43 NOK 347

-69.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$17.88 NOK 166

-50.28%

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

$308 R 5,040

$241 NOK 2,234

27.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$13.2K NOK 122.6K

-38.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$105 NOK 972

-45.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$56.9 NOK 528

-44.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$131 NOK 1,211

-11.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$158 NOK 1,468

-36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$1,250 NOK 11.6K

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$1,059 NOK 9,824

-36.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$2,091 NOK 19.4K

-11.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$1,708 NOK 15.8K

-17.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$6,534 NOK 60.6K

-63.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$4,347 NOK 40.3K

-63.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

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 Ulsteinvik: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Ulsteinvik

$1.1K 38.8% 58.2% $389

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Ulsteinvik

$498 18.3% 123% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Ulsteinvik

$365 13.4% 100% $183

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Ulsteinvik

$394 14.4% 127% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Ulsteinvik

$203 7.4% 47.3% $65

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Ulsteinvik

$127 4.6% 76.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Ulsteinvik

$85 3.1% 22.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,250 in Ulsteinvik. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $109 in Ulsteinvik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $498 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇴 Ulsteinvik

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

5,600

💱 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 6, 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 6, 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 Ulsteinvik 10,760 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Ulsteinvik

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 Ulsteinvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulsteinvik costs about 79% 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 $4,095 in Ulsteinvik. 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 $1,250 in Ulsteinvik.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,730 in Ulsteinvik. That makes Cape Town about 44% 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 $2,730 in Ulsteinvik. 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 $2,730 in Ulsteinvik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Cape Town is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 44% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.