Cost of Living Comparison Between La Paz and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between La Paz and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,218 per month in La Paz vs $1,252 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,996 per month in La Paz vs $1,964 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,774 per month in La Paz vs $2,676 in Cape Town, rent included.

La Paz is about 3% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both La Paz and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – La Paz 9% lower, Cape Town 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 MX$176

$10.94 R 181

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 MX$915

$44.43 R 735

18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 MX$140

$5.16 R 85.3

56.01%

Cappuccino

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.98 R 32.82

48.99%

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

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.10 R 18.25

58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.04

$0.82 R 13.54

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MX$38.81

$2.83 R 46.80

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 MX$97.2

$2.59 R 42.77

115.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$27.31

$1.15 R 19.06

35.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.05

$1.05 R 17.37

151.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.46

$1.84 R 30.43

-11.41%

Eggs

$2.33 MX$40.67

$2.46 R 40.70

-5.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 MX$141

$8.50 R 141

-4.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$5.09 R 84.1

59.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 MX$184

$7.61 R 126

38.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.44

$1.51 R 25.02

72.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.18

$1.47 R 24.35

-2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.32

$1.46 R 24.08

19.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$29.11

$1.51 R 25.05

10.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.46

$1.12 R 18.59

66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$1.19 R 19.61

68.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MX$21.27

$1.09 R 18.05

11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.15

$0.93 R 15.43

5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.4

$3.13 R 51.8

34.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.46 MX$305

$6.10 R 101

186.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.34

$1.35 R 22.28

16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 MX$49.27

$1.73 R 28.67

63.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.49

$0.93 R 15.43

-29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.64 R 788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$44.34

$1.42 R 23.45

78.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.84

$0.93 R 15.46

65.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.36 MX$146

$4.36 R 72.1

91.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.31

$1.23 R 20.36

8.94%

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

$21.0K MX$367.2K

$21.2K R 351.1K

-0.91%

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

$22.2K MX$387.6K

$24.1K R 398.5K

-7.85%

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

$55.7 MX$972

$99.9 R 1,652

-44.28%

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

$22.41 MX$391

$33.35 R 551

-32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 MX$521

$40.86 R 676

-26.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.34 MX$617

$42.50 R 703

-16.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.81 MX$276

$7.95 R 132

98.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MX$79.3

$6.87 R 114

-33.92%

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

$204 MX$3,555

$213 R 3,529

-4.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,602 MX$62.9K

$5,342 R 88.3K

-32.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 MX$908

$56.0 R 926

-7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 MX$695

$32.52 R 538

22.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,592

$114 R 1,891

-20.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 MX$1,405

$83.5 R 1,381

-3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 MX$13.6K

$764 R 12.6K

2.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MX$8,638

$523 R 8,645

-5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 MX$30.3K

$1,407 R 23.3K

23.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$19.3K

$1,025 R 16.9K

7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,937 MX$33.8K

$2,343 R 38.7K

-17.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,233 MX$21.5K

$1,488 R 24.6K

-17.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$800 MX$14.0K

$1,641 R 27.1K

-51.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.77

-2.29%

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

Last update for La Paz: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in La Paz versus $764 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 105% 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 $52.0 in La Paz versus $44.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $187 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

La Paz vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 3% more than La Paz, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,827 per month in La Paz and $1,878 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Paz, 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 $1,218 in La Paz and $1,252 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in La Paz and $213 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Paz, where all-in costs run around $1,218, than in Cape Town at $1,252. In La Paz 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. La Paz costs $1,218 versus $1,252 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 La Paz. 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.