Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Vacoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Vacoas: $744 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Vacoas
Learn more

Vacoas Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Vacoas

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $744 in Vacoas, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Vacoas $744

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,097 in Vacoas, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Vacoas $1,097

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,449 in Vacoas, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Vacoas $1,449

Cape Town costs about 113% more than Vacoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Vacoas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$5.89 MUR 277

106.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$31.22 MUR 1,470

45.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$6.20 MUR 292

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.61 MUR 123

-4.21%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$1.12 MUR 52.9

13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.63 MUR 29.80

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$2.56 MUR 121

16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$3.71 MUR 175

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.45 MUR 68.5

-10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.73 MUR 34.35

71.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.15 MUR 54.1

93.91%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$2.28 MUR 107

36.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$2.70 MUR 127

235.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$2.55 MUR 120

171.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$11.16 MUR 525

-16.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.56 MUR 120

-28.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$2.15 MUR 101

-8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.44 MUR 67.9

15.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$3.03 MUR 143

-28.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.99 MUR 46.66

58.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.96 MUR 45.20

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.73 MUR 34.16

78.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.67 MUR 31.34

68.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$6.18 MUR 291

-41.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$6.20 MUR 292

-0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$1.44 MUR 67.8

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.33 MUR 110

-8.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.32 MUR 62.2

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$4.27 MUR 201

-86.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$3.18 MUR 150

-52.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$4.33 MUR 204

18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.34 MUR 62.9

15.67%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

25.20%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$31.3K MUR 1.5M

-0.12%

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

$114 R 1,883

$44.98 MUR 2,117

154.16%

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

$28.91 R 476

$10.35 MUR 487

179.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$24.84 MUR 1,169

59.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$25.74 MUR 1,212

90.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$5.12 MUR 241

78.71%

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

$259 R 4,264

$125 MUR 5,897

106.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$7,480 MUR 352.1K

-9.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$31.95 MUR 1,504

75.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$37.68 MUR 1,774

-13.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$63.2 MUR 2,976

90.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$47.93 MUR 2,257

125.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$265 MUR 12.5K

284.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$220 MUR 10.4K

225.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$471 MUR 22.2K

287.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$236 MUR 11.1K

462.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$690 MUR 32.5K

137.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

6.67

64.47%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Vacoas

$220 29.6% 69.3% $497

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Vacoas

$177 23.7% 21.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Vacoas

$80 10.8% 56.2% $103

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Vacoas

$124 16.7% 29.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Vacoas

$81 10.9% 43% $61

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Vacoas

$25 * 3.4% 66% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Vacoas

$36 4.8% 46.5% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $265 in Vacoas. 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 138% 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $31.00 in Vacoas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $177 – making Vacoas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇺 Vacoas

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

2 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

115,289

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Vacoas 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Vacoas

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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 113% more than Vacoas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,116 in Vacoas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vacoas, 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 $1,586 in Cape Town and $744 in Vacoas. That's a gap of about 113%.

Kindergarten costs $259 per month in Cape Town and $125 in Vacoas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vacoas, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Vacoas 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. Vacoas costs $744 versus $1,586 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 Vacoas. 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.