Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Varberg

For one person, living costs are similar in Cape Town and in Varberg: $1,599 and $1,648 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Varberg
Learn more

Varberg Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,599

/mo nomad

Varberg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Cape Town vs $1,648 in Varberg, rent included.

Cape Town $1,599
Varberg $1,648

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Cape Town vs $2,641 in Varberg, rent included.

Cape Town $2,460
Varberg $2,641

A family of three spends $3,320 per month in Cape Town vs $3,635 in Varberg, rent included.

Cape Town $3,320
Varberg $3,635

Cape Town is about 3% cheaper than Varberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Varberg sit above the global median – Cape Town by 18%, Varberg by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 R 199

$15.26 SEK 151

-20.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 R 769

$75.9 SEK 752

-38.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 R 102

$10.34 SEK 102

-40.04%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.13

$3.80 SEK 37.70

-34.21%

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

$1.35 R 22.28

$1.13 SEK 11.16

19.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.47

$1.05 SEK 10.40

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 R 50.4

$6.17 SEK 61.1

-50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 60.5

$7.75 SEK 76.8

-52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.45

$1.50 SEK 14.85

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R 20.89

$2.88 SEK 28.58

-55.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.68

$3.46 SEK 34.30

-37.28%

Eggs

$3.09 R 50.9

$4.11 SEK 40.72

-24.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 R 148

$13.20 SEK 131

-31.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.99 R 115

$11.23 SEK 111

-37.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 R 159

$20.15 SEK 200

-52.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.78

$2.93 SEK 28.99

-36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.72

$2.49 SEK 24.62

-22.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.13

$3.09 SEK 30.60

-42.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.86

$4.23 SEK 41.89

-48.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

$1.55 SEK 15.36

-1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$1.56 SEK 15.46

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 R 21.74

$2.57 SEK 25.43

-48.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.97

$1.04 SEK 10.28

10.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 61.4

$6.66 SEK 66.0

-44.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 R 99.0

$10.21 SEK 101

-41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

$1.96 SEK 19.46

-31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.11

$1.24 SEK 12.32

71.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R 25.53

$2.86 SEK 28.38

-45.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 1,010

$78.1 SEK 774

-21.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.85

$5.15 SEK 51.0

-88.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.36

$2.40 SEK 23.75

-35.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 R 82.5

$49.91 SEK 495

-89.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 R 26.33

$1.81 SEK 17.94

-11.60%

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

$35.4K R 583.4K

$33.4K SEK 331.0K

6.02%

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

$34.7K R 570.9K

$34.4K SEK 341.0K

0.70%

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

$119 R 1,955

$140 SEK 1,390

-15.41%

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

$29.42 R 485

$19.77 SEK 196

48.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 R 656

$30.07 SEK 298

32.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 R 836

$39.66 SEK 393

27.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 R 180

$40.53 SEK 402

-73.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 R 148

$16.16 SEK 160

-44.37%

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

$261 R 4,303

$152 SEK 1,505

71.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,966 R 114.8K

$3,359 SEK 33.3K

107.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 R 925

$70.7 SEK 700

-20.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 R 548

$40.44 SEK 401

-17.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,999

$113 SEK 1,115

7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,779

$151 SEK 1,498

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 R 16.9K

$791 SEK 7,839

29.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 11.9K

$500 SEK 4,956

43.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 R 30.2K

$1,195 SEK 11.8K

53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 R 22.4K

$924 SEK 9,152

47.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 R 39.6K

$6,614 SEK 65.5K

-63.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 R 24.8K

$3,563 SEK 35.3K

-57.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,649 R 27.2K

$3,170 SEK 31.4K

-47.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

1.9

477.37%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Last update for Varberg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$720 45%

Varberg

$500 30.4% 30.5% $219

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$226 14.2%

Varberg

$357 21.6% 57.6% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$188 11.8%

Varberg

$190 11.5% 1.2% $2.2

Eating Out

Cape Town

$177 11.1%

Varberg

$254 15.4% 43.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Varberg

$169 10.2% 17.6% $25

Getting Around

Cape Town

$76 4.7%

Varberg

$107 6.5% 40.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.3%

Varberg

$72 4.4% 4.7% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Cape Town versus $791 in Varberg. 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 92% higher in Varberg, 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 $76.0 in Varberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $357 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇪 Varberg

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

11:07 11:07 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

27,602

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Varberg 10,140 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Varberg

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 Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varberg costs about 3% 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 $2,398 per month in Cape Town and $2,472 in Varberg. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,599 in Cape Town and $1,648 in Varberg. That's a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Varberg at $1,648. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varberg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,599 versus $1,648 in Varberg. 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varberg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.