Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Zagazig

For one person, living is cheaper in Zagazig: $369 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Zagazig
🇪🇬 Egypt
$369
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $369 in Zagazig, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,586
  • Zagazig $369

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $613 in Zagazig, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,425
  • Zagazig $613

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $857 in Zagazig, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,263
  • Zagazig $857

Cape Town costs about 330% more than Zagazig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Zagazig is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.14 R 201
$3.83 E£205
216.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.34 R 751
$15.11 E£808
200.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 R 97.5
$5.17 E£277
13.73%
Cappuccino
$2.50 R 41.40
$0.91 E£48.46
174.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 21.06
$0.27 E£14.38
370.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 R 16.23
$0.15 E£7.86
553.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 R 49.60
$1.48 E£79.3
102.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 R 61.7
$2.24 E£120
66.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 R 21.52
$0.71 E£37.98
83.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 R 20.79
$0.29 E£15.61
331.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 R 36.97
$0.58 E£31.19
284.48%
Eggs
$3.11 R 51.5
$1.17 E£62.5
165.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.06 R 150
$3.83 E£205
136.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.92 R 115
$4.13 E£221
67.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.30 R 154
$7.79 E£416
19.38%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 R 30.42
$1.36 E£72.8
35.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 R 32.47
$0.71 E£38.15
176.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.60
$0.36 E£19.33
363.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 R 35.90
$0.22 E£11.76
886.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.57 R 25.96
$0.38 E£20.41
313.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 R 24.59
$0.39 E£20.84
279.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 R 21.53
$0.08 E£4.53
1525.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 R 18.71
$0.21 E£11.21
438.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.60 R 59.7
$2.04 E£109
76.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.15 R 102
$7.53 E£403
-18.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 R 22.78
$1.56 E£83.6
-11.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 R 35.39
$2.11 E£113
1.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 R 24.79
$0.14 E£7.37
971.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,006
$5.57 E£298
990.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.59 R 9.76
$0.17 E£8.93
247.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 R 24.78
$0.19 E£10.05
689.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.11 R 84.7
$1.55 E£83.0
229.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 R 25.64
$0.41 E£22.00
278.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K R 599.8K
$31.8K E£1.7M
13.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K R 517.7K
$28.3K E£1.5M
10.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 R 1,894
$14.52 E£776
687.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.91 R 479
$4.99 E£267
479.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.73 R 658
$10.52 E£562
277.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.01 R 812
$9.95 E£532
392.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.99 R 182
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.15 R 152
$1.96 E£104
366.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$259 R 4,288
$123 E£6,564
110.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,794 R 112.5K
$3,580 E£191.3K
89.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.2 R 931
$19.04 E£1,018
195.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.41 R 537
$51.0 E£2,723
-36.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 R 1,998
$114 E£6,117
5.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 R 1,790
$17.29 E£924
525.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 R 16.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 R 11.9K
$38.55 E£2,060
1759.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,824 R 30.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,327 R 22.0K
$95.3 E£5,092
1292.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,391 R 39.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,542 R 25.5K
$282 E£15.1K
445.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Zagazig
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,639 R 27.1K
$157 E£8,406
941.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
10
9.70%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zagazig: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$717
Zagazig
$39 94.6% $678
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$225
Zagazig
$118 47.5% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$183
Zagazig
$30 83.6% $153
Eating Out
Cape Town
$176
Zagazig
$71 59.9% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$143
Zagazig
$91 36.4% $52
Getting Around
Cape Town
$75
Zagazig
$7.2 90.3% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$67
Zagazig
$14 79.4% $53

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 942% higher in Cape Town, 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $15.00 in Zagazig. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $118 – making Zagazig the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇪🇬 Zagazig
🕒 Local time
00:12 12:12 AM
01:12 1:12 AM
1 h ahead of Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
285,097
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 16.57 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.04 USD). 1 EUR = 18.57 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 53.44 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 59.91 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Zagazig 7,300 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Zagazig

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 Zagazig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Zagazig?
Cape Town costs about 330% more than Zagazig, 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 Zagazig?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $554 in Zagazig. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Zagazig?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $369 in Zagazig. That's a gap of about 330%.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Zagazig?
Public transport costs about 991% less in Zagazig. 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 Zagazig?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zagazig, where all-in costs run around $369, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Zagazig it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cape Town or Zagazig?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zagazig costs $369 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Cape Town or to Zagazig?
If budget matters most, go with Zagazig. 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.

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