Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Zabrze

For one person, living costs are similar in Cape Town and in Zabrze: $1,527 and $1,501 a month, rent and utilities included.

Cape Town, South Africa
Zabrze, Poland
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Zabrze
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,501
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $1,501 in Zabrze, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Zabrze $1,501

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $2,102 in Zabrze, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Zabrze $2,102

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $2,704 in Zabrze, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Zabrze $2,704

Cape Town and Zabrze have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cape Town and Zabrze sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Zabrze by 11%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 199
$10.05 zł 39.51
19.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 709
$34.28 zł 135
25.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 102
$9.14 zł 35.95
-32.71%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.16
$3.87 zł 15.24
-38.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 21.03
$2.21 zł 8.69
-42.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.50
$1.91 zł 7.50
-50.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.92
$3.62 zł 14.23
-18.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 61.0
$4.44 zł 17.45
-16.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.80
$0.89 zł 3.50
48.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.93
$1.19 zł 4.68
1.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.37
$1.50 zł 5.91
46.67%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.3
$3.24 zł 12.76
-4.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$7.97 zł 31.35
9.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$5.51 zł 21.65
25.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$12.21 zł 48.02
-24.16%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.17
$1.08 zł 4.25
69.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.22
$1.38 zł 5.42
41.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.40
$1.40 zł 5.52
18.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.30
$2.63 zł 10.33
-18.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.09
$0.93 zł 3.64
69.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.37
$0.82 zł 3.23
79.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.25
$1.25 zł 4.91
8.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.91
$0.63 zł 2.49
80.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.1
$5.74 zł 22.59
-37.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 100
$6.50 zł 25.57
-6.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 23.02
$1.04 zł 4.11
33.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 36.01
$1.67 zł 6.55
30.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.09
$1.06 zł 4.16
32.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,004
$29.35 zł 115
106.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.31
$1.83 zł 7.18
-49.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.88
$0.68 zł 2.68
32.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 82.0
$10.04 zł 39.47
-50.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.45
$1.61 zł 6.34
-4.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 584.6K
$30.3K zł 119.1K
16.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 551.6K
$27.1K zł 106.8K
22.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,935
$339 zł 1,332
-65.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 425
$9.71 zł 38.18
164.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 651
$17.05 zł 67.1
131.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 853
$38.74 zł 152
33.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 188
$21.36 zł 84.0
-46.86%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 147
$7.49 zł 29.45
18.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,085
$483 zł 1,900
-36.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.6K
$12.0K zł 47.2K
-32.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 948
$69.2 zł 272
-17.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 525
$31.59 zł 124
0.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,917
$88.3 zł 347
31.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,665
$93.2 zł 367
8.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.3K
$668 zł 2,627
56.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.1K
$519 zł 2,041
28.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.8K
$979 zł 3,849
90.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.3K
$809 zł 3,181
73.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.8K
$2,941 zł 11.6K
-18.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$2,165 zł 8,516
-27.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Zabrze
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
7.19
51.46%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zabrze: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Zabrze
$519 22.5% $150
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Zabrze
$199 10.9% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Zabrze
$366 101% $183
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Zabrze
$198 13.6% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Zabrze
$127 7.7% $11
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Zabrze
$39 45.9% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Zabrze
$54 22.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $668 in Zabrze. 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 $34 in Zabrze. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $199 – making Zabrze the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇵🇱 Zabrze
🕒 Local time
18:52 6:52 PM
17:52 5:52 PM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
169,831
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.93 PLN (1 PLN = 0.254 USD). 1 EUR = 4.42 PLN (1 PLN = 0.226 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Zabrze 9,370 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Zabrze

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 Zabrze: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Zabrze?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $2,251 in Zabrze. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Zabrze?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zabrze, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $668 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
Are groceries more expensive in Cape Town or in Zabrze?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Cape Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do childcare costs compare in Cape Town and in Zabrze?
Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Cape Town and $483 in Zabrze. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Cape Town or in Zabrze?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $1,501 in Zabrze. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cape Town or Zabrze?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,501 in Zabrze to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Cape Town vs other spots: cost of living compared

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