Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Wil

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $3,185 in Wil, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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
152

Cost of Living Index in Wil
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Wil Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Wil

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $3,185 in Wil, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Wil $3,185

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $4,722 in Wil, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Wil $4,722

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $6,258 in Wil, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Wil $6,258

Cape Town is about 52% cheaper than Wil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Wil sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Wil by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$29.16 CHF 23.78

-58.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$148 CHF 120

-70.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$24.71 CHF 20.15

-75.11%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$6.08 CHF 4.96

-61.02%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$6.02 CHF 4.91

-78.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$5.18 CHF 4.22

-81.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$9.02 CHF 7.36

-67.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$6.24 CHF 5.09

-40.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$2.19 CHF 1.79

-39.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$4.03 CHF 3.29

-69.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$3.74 CHF 3.05

-41.18%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$7.92 CHF 6.46

-60.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$27.23 CHF 22.21

-67.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$29.17 CHF 23.78

-76.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$43.08 CHF 35.13

-78.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$3.62 CHF 2.95

-49.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$2.00 CHF 1.63

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$2.35 CHF 1.92

-29.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$5.31 CHF 4.33

-59.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$1.97 CHF 1.61

-19.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$2.13 CHF 1.74

-30.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$1.19 CHF 0.97

-4.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$11.20 CHF 9.13

-68.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$18.44 CHF 15.04

-67.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$2.19 CHF 1.79

-36.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$3.86 CHF 3.15

-63.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$93.1 CHF 75.9

-34.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$6.71 CHF 5.47

-86.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$4.83 CHF 3.94

-81.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$36.67 CHF 29.90

-86.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$2.37 CHF 1.93

-35.02%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

$38.8K CHF 31.6K

-8.75%

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

$39.5K CHF 32.2K

-15.51%

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

$117 R 1,929

$316 CHF 258

-62.93%

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

$25.71 R 424

$38.42 CHF 31.33

-33.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$54.9 CHF 44.77

-28.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$85.0 CHF 69.3

-39.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$27.70 CHF 22.59

-67.91%

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

$308 R 5,069

$2,300 CHF 1,876

-86.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$32.0K CHF 26.1K

-74.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$146 CHF 119

-60.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$68.6 CHF 55.9

-53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$149 CHF 122

-22.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$273 CHF 223

-63.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$1,480 CHF 1,207

-29.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$1,108 CHF 904

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$2,103 CHF 1,715

-11.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$1,443 CHF 1,177

-2.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$4,326 CHF 3,528

-62.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

1.9

473.16%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wil: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Wil

$1.1K 34.8% 65.6% $439

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Wil

$618 19.4% 177% $395

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Wil

$409 12.9% 125% $227

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Wil

$483 15.2% 178% $309

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Wil

$287 9% 108% $149

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Wil

$139 4.4% 94.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Wil

$140 4.4% 102% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,480 in Wil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Wil are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $148 in Wil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $618 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇨🇭 Wil

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

18,988

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1 CHF = 1.23 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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 = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.815 CHF (1 CHF = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 0.915 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Wil 9,100 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Wil

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 Wil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wil costs about 109% 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 $4,778 in Wil. 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 $1,480 in Wil.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $3,185 in Wil. That makes Cape Town about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 35% 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 $3,185 in Wil. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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