Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grimstad and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,160 in Grimstad, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,160

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,160 per month in Grimstad vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Grimstad $2,160
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,743 per month in Grimstad vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Grimstad $3,743
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $5,326 per month in Grimstad vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Grimstad $5,326
Cape Town $3,306

Grimstad costs about 41% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Grimstad and Cape Town sit above the global median – Grimstad by 60%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 197

$12.01 R 198

76.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 NOK 735

$42.92 R 707

84.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.53 NOK 144

$6.15 R 101

152.52%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.36

$2.37 R 39.04

105.91%

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

$4.39 NOK 40.88

$1.27 R 20.96

245.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 NOK 31.45

$0.94 R 15.46

259.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.77 NOK 109

$2.96 R 48.77

297.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.77 NOK 100

$3.69 R 60.8

191.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.61

$1.32 R 21.73

100.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 NOK 35.84

$1.21 R 19.87

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 30.27

$2.20 R 36.26

47.73%

Eggs

$3.53 NOK 32.80

$3.10 R 51.1

13.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 NOK 123

$8.73 R 144

51.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.55 NOK 135

$6.89 R 114

111.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.15 NOK 234

$9.26 R 153

171.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 NOK 20.47

$1.83 R 30.08

20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 22.69

$1.95 R 32.12

25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 32.99

$1.66 R 27.32

113.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 NOK 40.02

$2.14 R 35.19

100.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NOK 26.21

$1.58 R 26.01

78.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.80

$1.47 R 24.29

95.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 NOK 27.61

$1.35 R 22.18

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 NOK 17.91

$1.14 R 18.85

69.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.00 NOK 177

$3.58 R 59.0

430.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.32 NOK 152

$6.05 R 99.7

169.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 NOK 33.41

$1.39 R 22.95

158.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.00

$2.18 R 35.90

97.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.25 NOK 48.81

$1.40 R 23.02

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 NOK 872

$60.8 R 1,001

54.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.28 NOK 114

$0.93 R 15.26

1220.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.84

$0.90 R 14.83

113.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 674

$4.96 R 81.7

1361.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 21.94

$1.54 R 25.37

53.25%

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

$49.7K NOK 461.8K

$35.4K R 582.8K

40.40%

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

$46.3K NOK 430.9K

$33.4K R 549.9K

38.82%

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

$307 NOK 2,851

$117 R 1,929

161.81%

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

$34.54 NOK 321

$25.71 R 424

34.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NOK 512

$39.41 R 649

39.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.53 NOK 396

$51.6 R 850

-17.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 NOK 152

$8.89 R 146

84.03%

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

$238 NOK 2,209

$308 R 5,069

-22.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K NOK 162.5K

$8,141 R 134.2K

114.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.8 NOK 882

$57.4 R 946

65.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NOK 491

$31.75 R 523

66.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,015

$116 R 1,911

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,505

$101 R 1,660

60.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 NOK 8,512

$1,047 R 17.2K

-12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 NOK 4,906

$669 R 11.0K

-21.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 NOK 18.6K

$1,861 R 30.7K

7.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 NOK 17.3K

$1,407 R 23.2K

31.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,828 NOK 44.9K

$2,410 R 39.7K

100.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,477 NOK 32.3K

$1,570 R 25.9K

121.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,602 NOK 42.8K

$1,630 R 26.9K

182.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.9

10.89

-55.00%

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

Last update for Grimstad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grimstad

$527 24.4%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 26.9% $142

Groceries & Markets

Grimstad

$450 20.8%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 50.4% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grimstad

$396 18.3%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 54% $214

Eating Out

Grimstad

$386 17.9%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 55% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Grimstad

$188 8.7%

Cape Town

$138 9% 26.9% $51

Getting Around

Grimstad

$137 6.3%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 47.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Grimstad

$75 3.5%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 7.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $915 in Grimstad 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 Grimstad are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Grimstad versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h ahead of Grimstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,093

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.75 USD

100 NOK = 9.58 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.3 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.44 NOK (100 NOK = 9.58 EUR).

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).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Grimstad Cape Town 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Grimstad
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

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

Grimstad costs about 41% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,240 per month in Grimstad and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grimstad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $915 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,160 in Grimstad and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 29% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,160 in Grimstad and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,160 in Grimstad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Grimstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.