Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kortrijk and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,867 in Kortrijk, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Kortrijk, Belgium
Cape Town, South Africa
Kortrijk
🇧🇪 Belgium
$1,867
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,867 per month in Kortrijk vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Kortrijk $1,867
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,707 per month in Kortrijk vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Kortrijk $2,707
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $3,547 per month in Kortrijk vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Kortrijk $3,547
  • Cape Town $3,306

Kortrijk costs about 22% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kortrijk and Cape Town sit above the global median – Kortrijk by 38%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.35 €19.90
$12.01 R 198
86.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.4 €68.9
$42.92 R 707
80.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.85
$6.15 R 101
79.84%
Cappuccino
$3.43 €3.05
$2.37 R 39.04
44.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 €2.64
$1.27 R 20.96
133.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 €2.30
$0.94 R 15.46
175.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.56 €4.06
$2.96 R 48.77
54.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.69 R 60.8
1.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.32 R 21.73
-13.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.21 R 19.87
43.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.20 R 36.26
-33.18%
Eggs
$2.99 €2.66
$3.10 R 51.1
-3.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.69 €10.41
$8.73 R 144
33.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.60 €7.65
$6.89 R 114
24.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 €12.83
$9.26 R 153
55.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.83 R 30.08
15.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.95 R 32.12
1.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$1.66 R 27.32
22.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 €1.72
$2.14 R 35.19
-9.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.58 R 26.01
20.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.47 R 24.29
17.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.35 R 22.18
9.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.67
$1.14 R 18.85
-34.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.84 €11.43
$3.58 R 59.0
258.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.34 €6.54
$6.05 R 99.7
21.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.39 R 22.95
50.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 €1.59
$2.18 R 35.90
-18.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.87 €2.56
$1.40 R 23.02
105.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.3 €49.24
$60.8 R 1,001
-8.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.93 R 15.26
144.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.23 €1.98
$0.90 R 14.83
147.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.89 €44.42
$4.96 R 81.7
905.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.54 R 25.37
16.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K €30.6K
$35.4K R 582.8K
-2.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K €29.8K
$33.4K R 549.9K
0.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 €184
$117 R 1,929
76.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.30 €15.41
$25.71 R 424
-32.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.4 €47.50
$39.41 R 649
35.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.1 €45.53
$51.6 R 850
-0.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.34 €11.88
$11.35 R 187
17.53%
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 €12.82
$8.89 R 146
61.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$681 €606
$308 R 5,069
121.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.0K
$8,141 R 134.2K
121.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 €49.91
$57.4 R 946
-2.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.81 €22.98
$31.75 R 523
-18.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.6 €79.8
$116 R 1,911
-22.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 €91.3
$101 R 1,660
1.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$827 €736
$1,047 R 17.2K
-20.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$740 €658
$669 R 11.0K
10.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,250 €1,113
$1,861 R 30.7K
-32.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,017 €905
$1,407 R 23.2K
-27.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,234 €3,770
$2,410 R 39.7K
75.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,204 €1,962
$1,570 R 25.9K
40.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kortrijk
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,783 €2,478
$1,630 R 26.9K
70.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.9
10.89
-64.19%

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

Last update for Kortrijk: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kortrijk
$740
Cape Town
$669 9.5% $70
Eating Out
Kortrijk
$306
Cape Town
$174 43.1% $132
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kortrijk
$278
Cape Town
$182 34.4% $95
Groceries & Markets
Kortrijk
$261
Cape Town
$223 14.5% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Kortrijk
$123
Cape Town
$138 11.6% $14
Getting Around
Kortrijk
$80
Cape Town
$72 10.5% $8.4
Sport & Entertainment
Kortrijk
$80
Cape Town
$69 13.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $827 in Kortrijk 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 run about 71% higher in Kortrijk. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Kortrijk versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Kortrijk
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
08:53 8:53 AM
09:53 9:53 AM
1 h ahead of Kortrijk
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
76,700
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kortrijk Cape Town 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kortrijk
  • 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
Kortrijk vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kortrijk or Cape Town?
Kortrijk costs about 22% more than Cape Town, 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 Kortrijk and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,801 per month in Kortrijk and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kortrijk or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kortrijk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $827 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Kortrijk compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,867 in Kortrijk and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 18% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Kortrijk compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 9% less in Kortrijk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Kortrijk or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,867 in Kortrijk and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kortrijk or Cape Town?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $1,867 in Kortrijk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Kortrijk or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kortrijk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Kortrijk vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?