Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goes and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,599 a month against $2,593 in Goes, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Goes, Netherlands
Cape Town, South Africa
Goes
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,593
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,593 per month in Goes vs $1,599 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Goes $2,593
  • Cape Town $1,599

A couple spends around $3,733 per month in Goes vs $2,460 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Goes $3,733
  • Cape Town $2,460

A family of three spends $4,873 per month in Goes vs $3,320 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Goes $4,873
  • Cape Town $3,320

Goes costs about 62% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Goes and Cape Town sit above the global median – Goes by 91%, Cape Town by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.51 €14.72
$12.07 R 201
36.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.7 €64.8
$46.65 R 776
55.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.84 €13.23
$6.20 R 103
139.35%
Cappuccino
$4.89 €4.36
$2.50 R 41.50
95.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 €2.89
$1.35 R 22.48
140.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 €2.50
$1.00 R 16.62
181.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.57 €5.85
$3.06 R 50.8
114.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 €5.05
$3.67 R 61.1
54.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.30 R 21.65
13.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.40 €2.14
$1.27 R 21.08
88.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.71 €3.31
$2.17 R 36.00
70.97%
Eggs
$5.25 €4.68
$3.09 R 51.4
69.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.14 €13.49
$8.98 R 149
68.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.91 €13.29
$6.99 R 116
113.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.87 €14.14
$9.67 R 161
64.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 €2.48
$1.87 R 31.06
48.66%
Banana (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$1.93 R 32.00
28.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.77 R 29.40
5.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.62 €5.01
$2.18 R 36.18
157.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 €1.61
$1.52 R 25.30
19.08%
Onion (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.56 R 25.86
79.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.32 R 21.93
-3.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.77
$1.15 R 19.15
-24.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.06 €12.53
$3.72 R 61.9
277.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.98 €6.22
$6.01 R 99.9
16.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.34 R 22.33
-3.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 €2.33
$2.13 R 35.43
22.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.40 €3.03
$1.55 R 25.76
119.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.0 €78.4
$61.3 R 1,019
43.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.07 €3.63
$0.60 R 9.94
578.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.54 R 25.59
81.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.59 €26.38
$5.01 R 83.3
490.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.42 €2.16
$1.60 R 26.57
51.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.0K €37.5K
$35.4K R 588.7K
18.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.4K
$34.7K R 576.1K
11.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$340 €303
$119 R 1,972
186.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.78 €20.30
$29.42 R 489
-22.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.6 €54.9
$39.81 R 662
54.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.24 €35.86
$50.8 R 844
-20.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.47 €20.92
$10.93 R 182
114.73%
Cinema Ticket
$14.53 €12.95
$8.99 R 149
61.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,996 €2,670
$261 R 4,342
1047.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,979 €5,329
$6,966 R 115.8K
-14.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.8 €83.6
$56.1 R 933
67.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.63 €37.99
$33.26 R 553
28.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.7 €77.3
$121 R 2,017
-28.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.0 €88.2
$108 R 1,796
-8.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,415 €1,261
$1,028 R 17.1K
37.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,172 €1,045
$720 R 12.0K
62.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,429 €2,165
$1,835 R 30.5K
32.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,880 €1,675
$1,360 R 22.6K
38.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,254 €4,683
$2,407 R 40.0K
118.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,444 €3,961
$1,504 R 25.0K
195.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Goes
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,080 €2,745
$1,649 R 27.4K
86.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
10.97
-63.99%

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

Last update for Goes: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Goes
$1.2K
Cape Town
$720 38.6% $453
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goes
$425
Cape Town
$188 55.8% $237
Groceries & Markets
Goes
$359
Cape Town
$226 36.9% $132
Eating Out
Goes
$304
Cape Town
$177 41.7% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Goes
$145
Cape Town
$143 1% $1.5
Getting Around
Goes
$120
Cape Town
$76 36.7% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Goes
$69
Cape Town
$69 0.8% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,415 in Goes versus $1,028 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 87% higher in Goes. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Goes versus $47 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $226 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Goes
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
07:34 7:34 AM
08:34 8:34 AM
1 h ahead of Goes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,495
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 16.62 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.65 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Goes Cape Town 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Goes
  • 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
Goes vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Goes or Cape Town?
Goes costs about 62% more than Cape Town, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Goes and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,890 per month in Goes and $2,398 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Goes or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,028 there versus $1,415 in Goes.
How much does it cost to live in Goes compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,593 in Goes and $1,599 in Cape Town. That’s a gap of about 62%.
How expensive is transport in Goes compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 30% 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 Goes or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,593 in Goes and $1,599 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Cape Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Goes or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Goes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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