Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jerusalem and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $2,912 in Jerusalem, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Jerusalem
Learn more

Jerusalem Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Jerusalem

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,912

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,912 per month in Jerusalem vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Jerusalem $2,912
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $4,212 per month in Jerusalem vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Jerusalem $4,212
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $5,511 per month in Jerusalem vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Jerusalem $5,511
Cape Town $3,307

Jerusalem costs about 86% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jerusalem and Cape Town sit above the global median – Jerusalem by 117%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.96 ₪70.2

$11.78 R 195

94.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 ₪305

$46.55 R 772

114.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.75 ₪60.4

$5.96 R 98.9

231.38%

Cappuccino

$4.86 ₪14.85

$2.47 R 41.01

96.76%

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

$3.59 ₪10.98

$1.33 R 22.03

169.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₪8.52

$1.03 R 17.08

170.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 ₪24.37

$3.01 R 49.98

164.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 ₪31.58

$3.66 R 60.8

182.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ₪7.42

$1.39 R 23.08

74.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 ₪10.48

$1.19 R 19.70

188.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 ₪11.17

$2.11 R 35.02

72.99%

Eggs

$4.75 ₪14.51

$3.01 R 49.84

57.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 ₪52.3

$8.96 R 149

90.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.45 ₪44.17

$6.65 R 110

117.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.71 ₪109

$9.29 R 154

284.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 ₪13.10

$1.83 R 30.28

134.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.37 ₪10.31

$1.90 R 31.47

77.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 ₪8.31

$1.75 R 28.98

55.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₪7.35

$2.09 R 34.59

14.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 ₪5.76

$1.55 R 25.78

21.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 ₪5.04

$1.49 R 24.65

10.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 ₪6.09

$1.30 R 21.53

53.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₪5.82

$1.16 R 19.29

63.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.83 ₪42.28

$3.71 R 61.5

272.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 ₪47.49

$6.06 R 101

156.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₪14.14

$1.39 R 22.97

233.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ₪12.99

$2.20 R 36.51

93.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 ₪7.88

$1.51 R 25.11

70.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 ₪217

$61.0 R 1,011

16.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 ₪12.20

$0.63 R 10.38

533.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 ₪3.87

$1.53 R 25.42

-16.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.46 ₪77.8

$4.81 R 79.8

429.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.69 ₪8.24

$1.58 R 26.22

70.25%

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

$58.2K ₪177.8K

$35.5K R 588.7K

63.88%

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

$59.1K ₪180.6K

$31.7K R 526.6K

86.11%

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

$291 ₪888

$116 R 1,930

149.67%

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

$12.40 ₪37.89

$28.37 R 471

-56.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 ₪126

$40.69 R 675

1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 ₪227

$48.85 R 810

52.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.77 ₪54.3

$11.13 R 185

59.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 ₪44.79

$8.83 R 146

65.91%

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

$1,395 ₪4,264

$261 R 4,336

433.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K ₪87.2K

$6,702 R 111.2K

325.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 ₪360

$55.4 R 919

112.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 ₪235

$32.27 R 535

138.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₪466

$118 R 1,949

29.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 ₪496

$107 R 1,775

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 ₪5,828

$1,015 R 16.8K

87.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 ₪3,857

$715 R 11.9K

76.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,720 ₪11.4K

$1,801 R 29.9K

106.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 ₪5,846

$1,330 R 22.1K

43.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.0K ₪61.1K

$2,331 R 38.7K

757.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,134 ₪27.9K

$1,513 R 25.1K

503.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,777 ₪11.5K

$1,636 R 27.1K

130.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

10.97

-54.51%

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

Last update for Jerusalem: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jerusalem

$1.3K 43.4%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 43.3% $546

Groceries & Markets

Jerusalem

$490 16.9%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 54.6% $267

Eating Out

Jerusalem

$387 13.3%

Cape Town

$174 11% 55.2% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jerusalem

$344 11.8%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 46.1% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Jerusalem

$229 7.9%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 38.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Jerusalem

$104 3.6%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 35.8% $37

Getting Around

Jerusalem

$92 3.2%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 17.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Jerusalem versus $1,015 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 131% higher in Jerusalem, 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 $100 in Jerusalem versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $490 vs $222 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Jerusalem

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

12:24 12:24 PM

1 h behind Jerusalem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,652 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.327 USD

1 ILS = 0.292 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.43 ILS (1 ILS = 0.292 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.58 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jerusalem Cape Town 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Jerusalem
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

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

Jerusalem costs about 86% 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 $4,368 per month in Jerusalem and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, 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 $2,912 in Jerusalem and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 86%.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Jerusalem at $2,912. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jerusalem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $2,912 in Jerusalem. 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jerusalem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.