Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,392 per month in Centurion vs $1,640 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Centurion vs $2,528 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,159 per month in Centurion vs $3,415 in Cape Town, rent included.

Centurion is about 15% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Centurion and Cape Town sit above the global median – Centurion by 1%, Cape Town by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.79 R 369

$12.20 R 197

86.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.30 R 684

$48.92 R 791

-13.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 99.5

$5.65 R 91.4

8.85%

Cappuccino

$2.70 R 43.70

$2.64 R 42.61

2.27%

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

$1.04 R 16.81

$1.31 R 21.26

-20.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R 13.68

$1.06 R 17.10

-19.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 R 34.42

$3.17 R 51.2

-32.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.65

$3.80 R 61.4

-35.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.25

$1.38 R 22.30

-9.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 R 20.08

$1.23 R 19.97

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 R 34.85

$2.18 R 35.22

-0.92%

Eggs

$3.20 R 51.7

$3.04 R 49.17

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 R 167

$9.18 R 148

12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 R 110

$6.89 R 111

-1.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 R 122

$9.32 R 151

-18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R 31.09

$1.89 R 30.59

1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.90

$2.03 R 32.88

-8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 R 36.77

$1.67 R 26.96

35.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 R 34.87

$2.22 R 35.86

-2.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.64

$1.53 R 24.71

7.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.61

$1.62 R 26.13

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 R 22.51

$1.33 R 21.56

4.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.19

$1.18 R 19.03

27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 R 63.0

$3.59 R 58.0

8.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 R 26.35

$1.41 R 22.72

15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.30

$2.32 R 37.43

-6.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 R 40.67

$1.45 R 23.46

73.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 R 1,610

$61.5 R 995

61.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 19.79

$0.65 R 10.43

87.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 R 19.83

$1.62 R 26.15

-24.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.57 R 155

$5.06 R 81.9

89.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 23.91

$1.57 R 25.38

-5.73%

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

$37.1K R 600.4K

$37.1K R 599.6K

0.12%

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

$32.8K R 530.3K

$33.2K R 536.6K

-1.17%

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

$145 R 2,342

$121 R 1,951

20.02%

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

$31.56 R 510

$30.79 R 498

2.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.81 R 676

$39.59 R 640

5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.01 R 728

$50.7 R 819

-11.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 191

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 R 177

$9.35 R 151

16.79%

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

$317 R 5,131

$265 R 4,289

19.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,455 R 72.0K

$6,560 R 106.1K

-32.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 R 985

$57.6 R 931

5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.13 R 730

$33.12 R 535

36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 R 1,919

$121 R 1,953

-1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 R 1,674

$110 R 1,775

-5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 R 5,620

$1,035 R 16.7K

-66.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 R 6,145

$727 R 11.8K

-47.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 R 9,467

$1,896 R 30.7K

-69.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 R 15.3K

$1,359 R 22.0K

-30.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$539 R 8,708

$2,488 R 40.2K

-78.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$627 R 10.1K

$1,614 R 26.1K

-61.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,426 R 39.2K

$1,642 R 26.6K

47.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.02

-4.72%

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

Last update for Centurion: August 31, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Centurion versus $1,035 in Cape Town. 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 48% higher in Centurion, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Centurion versus $49.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Centurion vs $228 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Centurion vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 18% more than Centurion, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $2,088 per month in Centurion and $2,460 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Centurion, 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 $1,392 in Centurion and $1,640 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Centurion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Centurion, where all-in costs run around $1,392, than in Cape Town at $1,640. In Centurion 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. Centurion costs $1,392 versus $1,640 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 Centurion. 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.