Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chartres and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,718 in Chartres, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chartres, France
Cape Town, South Africa
Chartres
🇫🇷 France
$1,718
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chartres and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Chartres vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Chartres $1,718
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,636 per month in Chartres vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Chartres $2,636
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $3,555 per month in Chartres vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Chartres $3,555
  • Cape Town $3,306

Chartres costs about 12% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chartres and Cape Town sit above the global median – Chartres by 27%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.67 €13.07
$12.01 R 197
22.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.6 €45.06
$42.92 R 703
17.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 €9.55
$6.15 R 101
74.31%
Cappuccino
$2.66 €2.37
$2.37 R 38.81
12.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 €2.86
$1.27 R 20.84
152.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.94 R 15.37
54.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.30 €7.40
$2.96 R 48.48
180.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 €4.85
$3.69 R 60.5
47.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.32 R 21.61
-3.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.21 R 19.75
46.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$2.20 R 36.05
12.27%
Eggs
$3.92 €3.50
$3.10 R 50.8
26.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 €8.79
$8.73 R 143
12.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.68 €10.41
$6.89 R 113
69.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 €14.43
$9.26 R 152
74.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.65
$1.83 R 29.90
62.84%
Banana (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$1.95 R 31.94
52.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.66 R 27.16
-10.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 €3.69
$2.14 R 34.99
93.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.58 R 25.86
12.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.47 R 24.15
36.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.35 R 22.05
20.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.15 €0.13
$1.14 R 18.75
-86.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.97 €11.55
$3.58 R 58.6
262.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.57 €4.96
$6.05 R 99.2
-7.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.39 R 22.82
5.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 €1.41
$2.18 R 35.69
-27.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.40 R 22.88
47.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.30 €43.92
$60.8 R 995
-18.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.23 €1.99
$0.93 R 15.18
139.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 €0.99
$0.90 R 14.75
24.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.50 €28.95
$4.96 R 81.3
555.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.92
$1.54 R 25.23
39.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.5K €14.7K
$35.4K R 579.4K
-53.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K €21.8K
$33.4K R 546.7K
-26.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 €180
$117 R 1,918
72.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.16 €18.85
$25.71 R 421
-17.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.63 €28.17
$39.41 R 646
-19.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.56 €31.68
$51.6 R 846
-31.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.62 €12.13
$11.35 R 186
20.00%
Cinema Ticket
$15.39 €13.71
$8.89 R 146
73.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$884 €787
$308 R 5,040
187.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K €9,419
$8,141 R 133.4K
29.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$124 €111
$57.4 R 940
116.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.98 €41.85
$31.75 R 520
47.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.6 €88.7
$116 R 1,900
-14.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.0 €85.5
$101 R 1,650
-4.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$777 €692
$1,047 R 17.1K
-25.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 €554
$669 R 11.0K
-7.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,463 €1,303
$1,861 R 30.5K
-21.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,182 €1,053
$1,407 R 23.1K
-16.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,099 €3,651
$2,410 R 39.5K
70.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,029 €1,808
$1,570 R 25.7K
29.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chartres
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,630 R 26.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.9
10.89
-64.19%

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

Last update for Chartres: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chartres
$622
Cape Town
$669 7.5% $47
Groceries & Markets
Chartres
$291
Cape Town
$223 23.4% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chartres
$255
Cape Town
$182 28.5% $73
Eating Out
Chartres
$253
Cape Town
$174 31.1% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Chartres
$165
Cape Town
$138 16.7% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Chartres
$66
Cape Town
$69 4.6% $3
Getting Around
Chartres
$65
Cape Town
$72 9.8% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Chartres versus $1,047 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Chartres versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Chartres
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
04:45 4:45 AM
05:45 5:45 AM
1 h ahead of Chartres
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,447
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chartres Cape Town 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chartres
  • Cape Town

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
Chartres vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chartres or Cape Town?
Chartres costs about 12% more than Cape Town, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chartres and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in Chartres and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chartres or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chartres, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $777 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Chartres compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,718 in Chartres and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 11% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Chartres compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Chartres. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chartres or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,718 in Chartres and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chartres or Cape Town?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,718 in Chartres. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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