Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha'il: $1,040 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Ha'il
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Ha'il Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Ha'il

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,040

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,040 per month in Ha'il vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ha'il $1,040
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,589 per month in Ha'il vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ha'il $1,589
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,139 per month in Ha'il vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ha'il $2,139
Cape Town $3,263

Ha'il is about 34% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ha'il sits 23% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 SAR 20.52

$12.14 R 200

-54.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.36 SAR 140

$45.34 R 747

-17.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 SAR 22.05

$5.88 R 96.9

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SAR 8.73

Cappuccino

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$2.50 R 41.18

4.00%

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

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.27 R 20.94

-51.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.98 R 16.14

-75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.30 R 21.40

32.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 SAR 3.17

$1.25 R 20.68

-32.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

$2.23 R 36.76

-17.94%

Eggs

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$3.11 R 51.2

-39.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$9.06 R 149

-24.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 SAR 31.96

$6.92 R 114

23.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.55 SAR 32.10

$9.30 R 153

-8.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.84 R 30.25

-14.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$1.96 R 32.29

-19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.67 R 27.45

-21.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 SAR 7.61

$2.17 R 35.70

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$1.57 R 25.81

-15.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.06

$1.48 R 24.45

9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 SAR 4.60

$1.30 R 21.41

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$1.13 R 18.60

-56.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.02 SAR 11.35

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 SAR 25.25

$3.60 R 59.3

86.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$1.50 R 24.65

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.18 SAR 136

$60.8 R 1,001

-40.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$0.59 R 9.71

354.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$1.50 R 24.65

25.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.58 SAR 50.9

$5.11 R 84.2

165.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.27

$1.55 R 25.50

-60.65%

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

$44.7K SAR 167.8K

$36.2K R 596.5K

23.54%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

$31.2K R 514.8K

-30.91%

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

$52.7 SAR 198

$114 R 1,883

-53.95%

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

$21.32 SAR 80.0

$28.91 R 476

-26.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.59 SAR 179

$39.73 R 654

19.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.4 SAR 253

$49.01 R 808

37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.99 SAR 101

$10.99 R 181

145.59%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 SAR 55.7

$9.15 R 151

62.30%

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

$414 SAR 1,554

$259 R 4,264

60.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,887 SAR 29.6K

$6,794 R 111.9K

16.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.06 SAR 162

$56.2 R 926

-23.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 SAR 205

$32.41 R 534

68.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 SAR 363

$121 R 1,987

-19.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 SAR 330

$108 R 1,781

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 SAR 918

$1,021 R 16.8K

-76.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,373

$717 R 11.8K

-48.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 SAR 1,359

$1,824 R 30.1K

-80.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 SAR 2,123

$1,327 R 21.9K

-57.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 SAR 8,890

$2,391 R 39.4K

-0.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 SAR 5,099

$1,542 R 25.4K

-11.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,087 SAR 4,080

$1,639 R 27.0K

-33.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.97

-49.50%

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

Last update for Ha'il: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ha'il

$366 35.2%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 95.9% $351

Groceries & Markets

Ha'il

$180 17.3%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 25.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Ha'il

$127 12.2%

Cape Town

$143 9% 12.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ha'il

$122 11.7%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 50.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Ha'il

$97 9.3%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 30.7% $30

Eating Out

Ha'il

$96 9.2%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 83.5% $80

Getting Around

Ha'il

$52 5.1%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 42.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $245 in Ha'il versus $1,021 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 51% 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 Ha'il versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $225 – making Ha'il the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ha'il

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

19:05 7:05 PM

1 h behind Ha'il

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,897

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ha'il Cape Town 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ha'il
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

Ha'il vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 53% more than Ha'il, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,560 per month in Ha'il and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ha'il, 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 $1,040 in Ha'il and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 53%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Ha'il. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ha'il, where all-in costs run around $1,040, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Ha'il 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. Ha'il costs $1,040 versus $1,586 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 Ha'il. 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.