Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Zhytomyr

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhytomyr: $751 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Zhytomyr
Learn more

Zhytomyr Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Zhytomyr

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $751 in Zhytomyr, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Zhytomyr $751

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,169 in Zhytomyr, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Zhytomyr $1,169

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,586 in Zhytomyr, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Zhytomyr $1,586

Cape Town costs about 111% more than Zhytomyr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Zhytomyr is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$8.76 ₴393

38.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$25.87 ₴1,161

75.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$4.73 ₴212

24.31%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.41 ₴63.2

77.30%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.54 ₴24.32

135.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.32 ₴14.20

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$0.70 ₴31.50

327.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$1.30 ₴58.3

186.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.07 ₴48.00

21.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.72 ₴32.40

73.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.74 ₴78.2

28.16%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.87 ₴83.7

66.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$10.47 ₴470

-13.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$3.86 ₴173

79.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$6.03 ₴271

54.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$0.93 ₴41.84

97.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.43 ₴64.1

37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.47 ₴65.8

13.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$4.14 ₴186

-47.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.80 ₴36.11

96.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.82 ₴36.89

80.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$1.09 ₴48.71

19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.65 ₴29.28

73.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$3.58 ₴161

0.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$4.36 ₴196

41.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$0.97 ₴43.66

42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.57 ₴70.7

36.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.32 ₴14.16

368.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$8.81 ₴396

589.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$1.80 ₴80.8

-67.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.33 ₴14.80

354.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$3.46 ₴156

47.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.45 ₴65.0

6.90%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$29.2K ₴1.3M

23.87%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$24.2K ₴1.1M

28.97%

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

$114 R 1,883

$84.0 ₴3,772

36.03%

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

$28.91 R 476

$5.34 ₴240

441.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$4.48 ₴201

786.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$26.99 ₴1,211

81.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$16.41 ₴737

-33.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$4.36 ₴196

109.86%

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

$259 R 4,264

$159 ₴7,125

63.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$1,690 ₴75.9K

301.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$62.6 ₴2,808

-10.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$27.81 ₴1,248

16.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$71.4 ₴3,205

68.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$77.1 ₴3,462

40.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$332 ₴14.9K

207.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$216 ₴9,703

231.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$512 ₴23.0K

256.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$369 ₴16.6K

259.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,047 ₴47.0K

128.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$860 ₴38.6K

79.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$463 ₴20.8K

253.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

19.6

-44.03%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zhytomyr: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Zhytomyr

$216 28.8% 69.8% $501

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Zhytomyr

$174 23.2% 22.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Zhytomyr

$94 12.5% 48.7% $89

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Zhytomyr

$111 14.7% 37.2% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Zhytomyr

$108 14.3% 24.7% $35

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Zhytomyr

$14 1.8% 81.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Zhytomyr

$36 4.8% 47% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $332 in Zhytomyr. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 254% 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 $26.00 in Zhytomyr. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $174 – making Zhytomyr the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇺🇦 Zhytomyr

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

267,610

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.47 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Zhytomyr 9,420 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Zhytomyr

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 Zhytomyr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 111% more than Zhytomyr, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,127 in Zhytomyr. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhytomyr, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $751 in Zhytomyr. That's a gap of about 111%.

Public transport costs about 590% less in Zhytomyr. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhytomyr, where all-in costs run around $751, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Zhytomyr 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. Zhytomyr costs $751 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 Zhytomyr. 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.