Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khafji and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Khafji: $675 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Khafji
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$675
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $675 per month in Khafji vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Khafji $675
  • Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,061 per month in Khafji vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Khafji $1,061
  • Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,447 per month in Khafji vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Khafji $1,447
  • Cape Town $3,263

Khafji is about 57% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Khafji sits 50% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.22 SAR 12.09
$12.14 R 200
-73.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.71 SAR 130
$45.34 R 747
-23.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.00 SAR 18.75
$5.88 R 96.9
-14.97%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.92 SAR 3.44
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 SAR 5.95
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.02 SAR 11.32
$2.50 R 41.18
20.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 SAR 2.73
$1.27 R 20.94
-42.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 SAR 0.72
$0.98 R 16.14
-80.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.99 R 49.33
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.72 R 61.4
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 SAR 6.74
$1.30 R 21.40
38.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 SAR 5.02
$1.25 R 20.68
7.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 SAR 7.04
$2.23 R 36.76
-15.70%
Eggs
$2.13 SAR 7.98
$3.11 R 51.2
-31.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.62 SAR 28.58
$9.06 R 149
-15.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.07 SAR 30.30
$6.92 R 114
16.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.64 SAR 47.42
$9.30 R 153
35.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 SAR 8.26
$1.84 R 30.25
19.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 SAR 6.18
$1.96 R 32.29
-15.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.59 SAR 5.98
$1.67 R 27.45
-4.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 SAR 6.00
$2.17 R 35.70
-26.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 SAR 4.21
$1.57 R 25.81
-28.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 SAR 4.49
$1.48 R 24.45
-18.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 SAR 4.78
$1.30 R 21.41
-2.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 SAR 2.15
$1.13 R 18.60
-49.56%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.04 SAR 15.15
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 SAR 5.43
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 SAR 8.02
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.66 SAR 28.75
$3.60 R 59.3
112.78%
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
-
🚌 Getting Around
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.50 R 24.65
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$60.8 R 1,001
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 SAR 9.90
$0.59 R 9.71
347.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 SAR 9.91
$1.50 R 24.65
76.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.39 SAR 50.3
$5.11 R 84.2
162.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 SAR 2.41
$1.55 R 25.50
-58.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$65.7K SAR 246.6K
$36.2K R 596.5K
81.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K SAR 77.9K
$31.2K R 514.8K
-33.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 SAR 490
$114 R 1,883
14.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.18 SAR 121
$28.91 R 476
11.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.0 SAR 236
$39.73 R 654
58.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$49.01 R 808
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.99 R 181
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.28 SAR 49.82
$9.15 R 151
45.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$133 SAR 500
$259 R 4,264
-48.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,009 SAR 15.0K
$6,794 R 111.9K
-40.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.39 SAR 159
$56.2 R 926
-24.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.33 SAR 185
$32.41 R 534
52.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.5 SAR 355
$121 R 1,987
-21.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.1 SAR 342
$108 R 1,781
-15.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$678 SAR 2,544
$1,021 R 16.8K
-33.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$717 R 11.8K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,824 R 30.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,327 R 21.9K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,391 R 39.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,542 R 25.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khafji
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,639 R 27.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
10.97
-46.22%

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

Last update for Khafji: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
$226
Cape Town
$183 18.9% $43
Groceries & Markets
Khafji
$201
Cape Town
$225 11.6% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
$125
Cape Town
$143 14.4% $18
Eating Out
Khafji
$81
Cape Town
$176 118% $96
Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
$27 *
Cape Town
$67 153% $41
Getting Around
Khafji
$16 *
Cape Town
$75 372% $59
Accommodation & Living
Khafji
- *
Cape Town
$717

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $678 in Khafji 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Khafji versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $225 – making Khafji the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Khafji
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
00:33 12:33 AM
23:33 11:33 PM
1 h behind Khafji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,012
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Khafji Cape Town 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Khafji
  • 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
Khafji vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Khafji or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 135% more than Khafji, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Khafji and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,013 per month in Khafji and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Khafji or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Khafji, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Khafji compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $675 in Khafji and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 135%.
How do childcare costs compare in Khafji and in Cape Town?
Kindergarten costs $133 per month in Khafji and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Khafji or in Cape Town?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Khafji, where all-in costs run around $675, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Khafji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Khafji or Cape Town?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Khafji costs $675 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Khafji or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Khafji. 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.

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