Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Wildhaus

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $3,733 in Wildhaus, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Cape Town, South Africa
Wildhaus, Switzerland
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Wildhaus
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,733
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $3,733 in Wildhaus, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Wildhaus $3,733

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $5,565 in Wildhaus, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Wildhaus $5,565

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $7,397 in Wildhaus, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Wildhaus $7,397

Cape Town is about 59% cheaper than Wildhaus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Wildhaus sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Wildhaus by 176%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 198
$37.29 CHF 30.40
-67.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 707
$145 CHF 118
-70.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 101
$18.52 CHF 15.10
-66.79%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.04
$6.90 CHF 5.62
-65.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.96
$5.80 CHF 4.73
-78.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.46
$5.24 CHF 4.27
-82.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.77
$9.92 CHF 8.09
-70.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 60.8
$8.48 CHF 6.92
-56.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.73
$2.13 CHF 1.74
-38.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.87
$3.94 CHF 3.21
-69.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.26
$3.83 CHF 3.12
-42.56%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.1
$8.14 CHF 6.64
-61.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$27.65 CHF 22.55
-68.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$28.63 CHF 23.34
-75.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$61.4 CHF 50.0
-84.91%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.08
$4.24 CHF 3.46
-56.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.12
$2.78 CHF 2.27
-29.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.32
$3.68 CHF 3.00
-54.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.19
$4.56 CHF 3.72
-53.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.01
$2.51 CHF 2.05
-37.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.29
$2.35 CHF 1.92
-37.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.18
$2.39 CHF 1.95
-43.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.85
$1.30 CHF 1.06
-12.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.0
$11.12 CHF 9.07
-67.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 99.7
$14.23 CHF 11.61
-57.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.95
$2.86 CHF 2.33
-51.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 35.90
$3.20 CHF 2.61
-31.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.02
$3.89 CHF 3.17
-64.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
$96.7 CHF 78.8
-37.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.26
$8.27 CHF 6.74
-88.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.83
$4.71 CHF 3.84
-80.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 81.7
$90.4 CHF 73.7
-94.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.37
$2.43 CHF 1.98
-36.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 582.8K
$39.8K CHF 32.4K
-11.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 549.9K
$40.1K CHF 32.7K
-16.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,929
$282 CHF 230
-58.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 424
$36.03 CHF 29.38
-28.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 649
$56.3 CHF 45.89
-29.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 850
$90.8 CHF 74.0
-43.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 187
$41.25 CHF 33.64
-72.48%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 146
$24.17 CHF 19.71
-63.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,069
$3,468 CHF 2,828
-91.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.2K
$41.6K CHF 33.9K
-80.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 946
$142 CHF 116
-59.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 523
$54.5 CHF 44.47
-41.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,911
$159 CHF 130
-27.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,660
$245 CHF 200
-58.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.2K
$1,969 CHF 1,606
-46.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.0K
$1,577 CHF 1,286
-57.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.7K
$3,283 CHF 2,677
-43.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.2K
$2,302 CHF 1,877
-38.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.7K
$14.0K CHF 11.4K
-82.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$12.0K CHF 9,802
-86.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Wildhaus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
2.03
436.45%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wildhaus: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Wildhaus
$1.6K 136% $908
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Wildhaus
$681 205% $458
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Wildhaus
$374 105% $192
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Wildhaus
$547 215% $373
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Wildhaus
$271 96.7% $133
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Wildhaus
$144 101% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Wildhaus
$139 101% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,969 in Wildhaus. 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 $145 in Wildhaus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $681 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇨🇭 Wildhaus
🕒 Local time
13:24 1:24 PM
12:24 12:24 PM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
1,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.815 CHF (1 CHF = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 0.916 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Wildhaus 9,070 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Wildhaus

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 Wildhaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Wildhaus?
Wildhaus costs about 144% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Wildhaus?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $5,599 in Wildhaus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Wildhaus?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,969 in Wildhaus.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Wildhaus?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $3,733 in Wildhaus. That makes Cape Town about 59% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Wildhaus?
Public transport costs about 37% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Cape Town or in Wildhaus?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $3,733 in Wildhaus. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Cape Town is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Cape Town vs other spots: cost of living compared

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