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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,091 per month in George vs $1,252 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,739 per month in George vs $1,964 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,387 per month in George vs $2,676 in Cape Town, rent included.

George is about 13% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both George and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – George 19% lower, Cape Town 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.23 R 182

$10.94 R 177

2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.15 R 601

$44.43 R 718

-16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 R 81.8

$5.16 R 83.4

-1.94%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.26

$1.98 R 32.09

1.01%

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

$1.58 R 25.59

$1.10 R 17.84

43.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.30

$0.82 R 13.24

45.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 R 41.60

$2.83 R 45.75

-9.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 R 48.54

$2.59 R 41.81

15.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R 17.86

$1.15 R 18.64

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 17.71

$1.05 R 16.98

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.00

$1.84 R 29.75

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.89 R 46.74

$2.46 R 39.79

17.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 R 151

$8.50 R 137

10.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 R 75.8

$5.09 R 82.2

-7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 124

$7.61 R 123

0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.96

$1.51 R 24.46

22.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.12

$1.47 R 23.81

10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.03

$1.46 R 23.54

-2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.78

$1.51 R 24.49

5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.76

$1.12 R 18.17

36.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.25

$1.19 R 19.17

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 20.78

$1.09 R 17.64

18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.34

$0.93 R 15.08

-4.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 R 50.2

$3.13 R 50.6

-0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.88 R 78.9

$6.10 R 98.6

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.80

$1.35 R 21.78

-14.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.10

$1.73 R 28.02

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 R 12.19

$0.93 R 15.08

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.98 R 420

$47.64 R 770

-45.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.28

$1.42 R 22.93

-20.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.29

$0.93 R 15.11

-5.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 R 64.8

$4.36 R 70.5

-8.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.92

$1.23 R 19.91

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

$20.9K R 338.7K

$21.2K R 343.2K

-1.31%

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

$20.9K R 338.1K

$24.1K R 389.6K

-13.23%

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

$125 R 2,021

$99.9 R 1,615

25.15%

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

$16.46 R 266

$33.35 R 539

-50.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 R 826

$40.86 R 661

24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.01 R 437

$42.50 R 687

-36.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.08 R 179

$7.95 R 129

39.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 R 89.2

$6.87 R 111

-19.80%

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

$127 R 2,046

$213 R 3,450

-40.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,753 R 76.8K

$5,342 R 86.4K

-11.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 R 1,185

$56.0 R 905

30.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.53 R 526

$32.52 R 526

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 R 1,600

$114 R 1,849

-13.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 R 1,436

$83.5 R 1,350

6.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 R 6,317

$764 R 12.4K

-48.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 R 5,381

$523 R 8,452

-36.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.7K

$1,407 R 22.7K

-48.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 R 13.1K

$1,025 R 16.6K

-20.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$375 R 6,059

$2,343 R 37.9K

-84.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$248 R 4,013

$1,488 R 24.1K

-83.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,346 R 21.8K

$1,641 R 26.5K

-17.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.88

11.77

-7.56%

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

Last update for George: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $391 in George versus $764 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 22% 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 $37.00 in George versus $44.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in George vs $187 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

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

Cape Town costs about 15% more than George, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,636 per month in George and $1,878 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in George, 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 $1,091 in George and $1,252 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 83% less in George. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in George, where all-in costs run around $1,091, than in Cape Town at $1,252. In George 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. George costs $1,091 versus $1,252 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 George. 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.