Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ventspils

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventspils: $937 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ventspils
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Ventspils Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Ventspils

🇱🇻 Latvia

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $937 in Ventspils, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Ventspils $937

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,459 in Ventspils, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Ventspils $1,459

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,981 in Ventspils, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Ventspils $1,981

Cape Town costs about 69% more than Ventspils, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Ventspils is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$13.21 €11.75

-8.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$54.9 €48.82

-17.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$8.47 €7.54

-30.58%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.50 €2.23

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$1.66 €1.47

-23.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$1.19 €1.06

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$3.45 €3.07

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.40 €2.13

55.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.15 €1.03

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.09 €0.97

14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$2.39 €2.12

-6.69%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$3.10 €2.76

0.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$10.51 €9.35

-13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$8.53 €7.58

-18.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$13.84 €12.31

-32.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$2.16 €1.92

-14.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.80 €1.60

8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$2.44 €2.17

-31.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$3.20 €2.85

-32.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.87 €0.78

80.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.87 €0.78

70.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.72 €1.53

-24.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.96 €0.86

17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$6.61 €5.88

-45.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$7.71 €6.86

-20.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$2.03 €1.80

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.00 €1.78

7.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.10 €0.98

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$16.76 €14.90

262.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$3.37 €3.00

-82.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.99 €0.88

51.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$17.70 €15.74

-71.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.82 €1.61

-14.84%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$27.3K €24.3K

32.81%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$31.2K €27.7K

0.17%

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

$114 R 1,883

$268 €239

-57.37%

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

$28.91 R 476

$16.50 €14.68

75.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$16.52 €14.69

140.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$10.99 €9.78

-16.74%

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

$259 R 4,264

$673 €598

-61.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$18.3K €16.3K

-62.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$69.2 €61.6

-18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$50.7 €45.10

-36.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$67.8 €60.3

77.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$100 €89.1

7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

4.2

161.19%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ventspils: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Ventspils

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Ventspils

$260 27.8% 15.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Ventspils

$301 32.2% 64.6% $118

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Ventspils

$195 20.8% 10.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Ventspils

$130 13.8% 9.3% $13

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Ventspils

$29 3.2% 60.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Ventspils

$22 * 2.4% 67.3% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $55.0 in Ventspils. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $260 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇱🇻 Ventspils

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

41,998

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Ventspils 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Ventspils

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 Ventspils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 69% more than Ventspils, 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 $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $1,405 in Ventspils. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $937 in Ventspils. That's a gap of about 69%.

Public transport costs about 262% less in Ventspils. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ventspils, where all-in costs run around $937, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Ventspils 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. Ventspils costs $937 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 Ventspils. 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.