Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,187 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Craiova 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 Craiova and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Craiova vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Craiova $1,187
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,763 per month in Craiova vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Craiova $1,763
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,338 per month in Craiova vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Craiova $2,338
Cape Town $3,307

Craiova is about 24% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Craiova sits 11% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 RON 35.62

$11.78 R 194

-36.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.41 RON 196

$46.55 R 768

-11.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 RON 34.05

$5.96 R 98.4

20.81%

Cappuccino

$2.62 RON 12.40

$2.47 R 40.80

6.07%

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

$2.21 RON 10.44

$1.33 R 21.91

66.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.51

$1.03 R 16.99

74.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 RON 11.14

$3.01 R 49.72

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 RON 16.35

$3.66 R 60.4

-5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 RON 6.26

$1.39 R 22.96

-5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 RON 4.09

$1.19 R 19.60

-26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.54

$2.11 R 34.84

-34.60%

Eggs

$3.41 RON 16.12

$3.01 R 49.58

13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 RON 33.61

$8.96 R 148

-20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 RON 30.57

$6.65 R 110

-2.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 RON 53.7

$9.29 R 153

22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.90

$1.83 R 30.13

-43.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.82

$1.90 R 31.31

-24.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.90

$1.75 R 28.83

-16.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.66

$2.09 R 34.41

-12.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$1.55 R 25.64

-50.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 RON 4.00

$1.49 R 24.53

-43.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 RON 3.24

$1.30 R 21.41

-46.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$1.16 R 19.19

-35.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 RON 30.08

$3.71 R 61.2

71.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 RON 29.66

$6.06 R 100

3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.66

$1.39 R 22.85

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 RON 6.96

$2.20 R 36.32

-33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 RON 3.87

$1.51 R 24.98

-45.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.32 RON 120

$61.0 R 1,006

-58.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$0.63 R 10.33

1.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.89

$1.53 R 25.29

-60.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 RON 30.25

$4.81 R 79.4

33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.09

$1.58 R 26.08

21.52%

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

$28.0K RON 132.6K

$35.5K R 585.7K

-21.05%

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

$26.2K RON 124.0K

$31.7K R 523.8K

-17.42%

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

$214 RON 1,011

$116 R 1,920

83.69%

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

$9.61 RON 45.43

$28.37 R 468

-66.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 RON 54.5

$40.69 R 671

-71.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 RON 211

$48.85 R 806

-8.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 RON 101

$11.13 R 184

92.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 RON 35.30

$8.83 R 146

-15.52%

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

$421 RON 1,992

$261 R 4,314

61.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,039 RON 38.0K

$6,702 R 110.6K

19.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 RON 298

$55.4 R 914

13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 RON 241

$32.27 R 532

57.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 RON 392

$118 R 1,939

-29.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 RON 481

$107 R 1,766

-5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 RON 2,379

$1,015 R 16.7K

-50.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,851

$715 R 11.8K

-45.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 RON 4,132

$1,801 R 29.7K

-51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 RON 2,845

$1,330 R 22.0K

-54.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,655 RON 12.6K

$2,331 R 38.5K

13.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,024 RON 9,575

$1,513 R 25.0K

33.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 RON 4,449

$1,636 R 27.0K

-42.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

10.97

-37.65%

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

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Craiova

$391 32.7%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 82.8% $324

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Craiova

$235 19.7%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 21.1% $49

Groceries & Markets

Craiova

$195 16.3%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 14.2% $28

Eating Out

Craiova

$148 12.4%

Cape Town

$174 11% 17.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Craiova

$134 11.2%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 4.6% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Craiova

$59 5%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 11.9% $7.1

Getting Around

Craiova

$32 2.7%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 133% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Craiova versus $1,015 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 74% 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 $41.00 in Craiova versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $222 – making Craiova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Craiova

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

14:23 2:23 PM

13:23 1:23 PM

1 h behind Craiova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,506

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Craiova Cape Town 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Craiova
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

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

Cape Town costs about 32% more than Craiova, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Craiova and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Craiova, 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 $1,187 in Craiova and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 141% less in Craiova. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Craiova, where all-in costs run around $1,187, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Craiova 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. Craiova costs $1,187 versus $1,568 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 Craiova. 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.