Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,556 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$992

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $992 per month in East London vs $1,556 in Cape Town, rent included.

East London $992
Cape Town $1,556

A couple spends around $1,611 per month in East London vs $2,432 in Cape Town, rent included.

East London $1,611
Cape Town $2,432

A family of three spends $2,230 per month in East London vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

East London $2,230
Cape Town $3,307

East London is about 36% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

East London sits 27% below the global median, while Cape Town is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 R 151

$12.09 R 201

-24.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 R 636

$44.34 R 738

-13.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 R 92.7

$6.15 R 102

-9.43%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 34.08

$2.36 R 39.24

-13.14%

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

$1.04 R 17.33

$1.26 R 21.03

-17.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.70

$1.00 R 16.56

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.71

$3.08 R 51.2

-12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 R 53.4

$3.70 R 61.5

-13.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.70

$1.34 R 22.38

-11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 R 14.54

$1.19 R 19.86

-26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.98

$2.10 R 34.96

-31.43%

Eggs

$2.27 R 37.82

$3.05 R 50.7

-25.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 R 139

$8.73 R 145

-4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 R 91.4

$6.97 R 116

-21.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 R 112

$9.39 R 156

-28.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.31

$1.89 R 31.39

-22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.44

$1.88 R 31.27

-18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.17

$1.69 R 28.04

-3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.86

$2.04 R 34.02

-29.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.89

$1.57 R 26.08

7.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.74

$1.48 R 24.61

-3.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.49

$1.28 R 21.33

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.82

$1.19 R 19.78

-20.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 R 48.08

$3.63 R 60.4

-20.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 R 78.2

$6.17 R 103

-23.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.80

$1.39 R 23.10

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.38

$2.18 R 36.27

-55.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 R 24.53

$1.37 R 22.79

7.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.85 R 779

$61.3 R 1,020

-23.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 20.31

$0.57 R 9.56

114.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 R 7.59

$1.48 R 24.58

-68.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 R 139

$4.90 R 81.5

71.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 R 22.45

$1.58 R 26.25

-14.56%

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

$34.7K R 576.8K

$34.7K R 577.5K

-0.12%

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

$29.3K R 487.2K

$34.1K R 567.3K

-14.13%

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

$122 R 2,034

$117 R 1,945

4.58%

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

$32.64 R 543

$28.35 R 472

15.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 R 738

$40.58 R 675

9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.51 R 657

$48.54 R 808

-18.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.80 R 180

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 R 75.6

$9.11 R 152

-50.16%

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

$177 R 2,947

$302 R 5,024

-41.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,438 R 90.5K

$6,720 R 111.8K

-19.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R 946

$55.2 R 919

2.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 R 546

$32.70 R 544

0.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 R 1,216

$118 R 1,961

-38.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 R 1,583

$104 R 1,728

-8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,831

$1,041 R 17.3K

-72.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R 4,169

$691 R 11.5K

-63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 R 9,028

$1,981 R 33.0K

-72.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 R 10.5K

$1,388 R 23.1K

-54.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,420 R 40.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R 25.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,664 R 27.7K

$1,576 R 26.2K

5.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

0.27%

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

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East London

$251 25.3%

Cape Town

$691 44.4% 176% $440

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East London

$199 20.1%

Cape Town

$186 11.9% 6.7% $13

Groceries & Markets

East London

$180 18.1%

Cape Town

$224 14.4% 24.5% $44

Eating Out

East London

$141 14.2%

Cape Town

$175 11.3% 24.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

East London

$116 11.7%

Cape Town

$139 9% 20.1% $23

Getting Around

East London

$56 5.7%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 32.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

East London

$49 4.9%

Cape Town

$67 4.3% 37.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in East London versus $1,041 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 6% higher in East London, 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 $38 in East London versus $44 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $224 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 East London

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as East London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,007

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

East London Cape Town 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

East London
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

East London vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 57% more than East London, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,487 per month in East London and $2,335 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,041 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $992 in East London and $1,556 in Cape Town. That makes East London about 36% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 24% less in East London. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Cape Town at $1,556. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward East London – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, East London is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 36% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.