Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delft and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,907 in Delft, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Delft, Netherlands
Cape Town, South Africa
Delft
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,907
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,907 per month in Delft vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Delft $2,907
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $4,280 per month in Delft vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Delft $4,280
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $5,654 per month in Delft vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Delft $5,654
  • Cape Town $3,306

Delft costs about 90% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delft and Cape Town sit above the global median – Delft by 115%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.55 €20.08
$12.01 R 198
87.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$96.4 €85.9
$42.92 R 707
124.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.46 €11.98
$6.15 R 101
118.86%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.59
$2.37 R 39.04
70.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 €3.30
$1.27 R 20.96
191.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.68
$0.94 R 15.46
220.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.05 €5.39
$2.96 R 48.77
104.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 €4.84
$3.69 R 60.8
47.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.32 R 21.73
0.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.21 R 19.87
53.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$2.20 R 36.26
30.45%
Eggs
$5.00 €4.45
$3.10 R 51.1
61.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.34 €14.55
$8.73 R 144
87.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.66 €13.94
$6.89 R 114
127.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.30 €15.40
$9.26 R 153
86.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 €2.45
$1.83 R 30.08
50.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.49 €2.21
$1.95 R 32.12
27.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.66 R 27.32
15.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.57 €4.07
$2.14 R 35.19
113.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.58 R 26.01
24.68%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 €2.10
$1.47 R 24.29
59.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.35 R 22.18
-5.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.66
$1.14 R 18.85
-35.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 €12.36
$3.58 R 59.0
287.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.19 €6.40
$6.05 R 99.7
18.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.39 R 22.95
7.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 €2.40
$2.18 R 35.90
23.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.44 €3.95
$1.40 R 23.02
217.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.0 €63.2
$60.8 R 1,001
16.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 €4.40
$0.93 R 15.26
431.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.48 €3.10
$0.90 R 14.83
286.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$65.4 €58.2
$4.96 R 81.7
1218.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.47 €2.20
$1.54 R 25.37
60.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.8K €36.3K
$35.4K R 582.8K
15.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.4K
$33.4K R 549.9K
15.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$264 €235
$117 R 1,929
125.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.67 €26.42
$25.71 R 424
15.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.63 €37.07
$39.41 R 649
5.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.52 €36.97
$51.6 R 850
-19.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.58 €5.86
$11.35 R 187
-42.03%
Cinema Ticket
$13.94 €12.41
$8.89 R 146
56.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,759 €2,456
$308 R 5,069
796.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,408 €6,596
$8,141 R 134.2K
-9.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.4 €75.2
$57.4 R 946
47.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.91 €37.32
$31.75 R 523
32.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.6 €86.9
$116 R 1,911
-15.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 €146
$101 R 1,660
62.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,859 €1,656
$1,047 R 17.2K
77.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,525 €1,358
$669 R 11.0K
127.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,118 €2,777
$1,861 R 30.7K
67.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,521 €2,245
$1,407 R 23.2K
79.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 €6,290
$2,410 R 39.7K
193.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,824 €4,296
$1,570 R 25.9K
207.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Delft
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,575 €3,183
$1,630 R 26.9K
119.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.89
10.89
-64.28%

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

Last update for Delft: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Delft
$1.5K
Cape Town
$669 56.1% $856
Groceries & Markets
Delft
$354
Cape Town
$223 36.9% $130
Eating Out
Delft
$337
Cape Town
$174 48.4% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Delft
$336
Cape Town
$182 45.7% $153
Clothing & Footwear
Delft
$175
Cape Town
$138 21.2% $37
Getting Around
Delft
$111
Cape Town
$72 35.4% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Delft
$69
Cape Town
$69 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,859 in Delft 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.

Salaries in Delft are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Delft versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Delft
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
04:26 4:26 AM
05:26 5:26 AM
1 h ahead of Delft
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
106,086
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 = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Delft Cape Town 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Delft
  • 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
Delft vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Delft or Cape Town?
Delft costs about 90% 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 Delft and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,360 per month in Delft 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, Delft or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,859 in Delft.
How much does it cost to live in Delft compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,907 in Delft and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 47% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Delft compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 14% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Delft or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,907 in Delft and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Delft or Cape Town?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,527 versus $2,907 in Delft. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Delft or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Delft makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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