Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
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Lome Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $557 per month in Lome vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lome $557
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $980 per month in Lome vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lome $980
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,404 per month in Lome vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lome $1,404
Cape Town $3,307

Lome is about 64% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Lome sits 58% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

$11.78 R 194

-75.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

$46.55 R 768

-34.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

$5.96 R 98.4

-5.37%

Cappuccino

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

$2.47 R 40.80

128.74%

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

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

$1.33 R 21.91

217.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 407

$1.03 R 16.99

-32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 F CFA 560

$3.01 R 49.72

-68.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

$3.66 R 60.4

-52.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

$1.39 R 22.96

59.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 F CFA 795

$1.19 R 19.60

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 F CFA 872

$2.11 R 34.84

-29.38%

Eggs

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

$3.01 R 49.58

-32.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

$9.29 R 153

-38.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

$1.83 R 30.13

59.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 976

$1.90 R 31.31

-12.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

$2.09 R 34.41

22.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

$1.55 R 25.64

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 692

$1.49 R 24.53

-20.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 487

$1.16 R 19.19

-28.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

$6.06 R 100

-19.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 640

$1.39 R 22.85

-21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 F CFA 820

$2.20 R 36.32

-36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 F CFA 714

$1.53 R 25.29

-20.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

$4.81 R 79.4

-11.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 F CFA 720

$1.58 R 26.08

-22.15%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$146 F CFA 85.6K

$116 R 1,920

25.66%

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

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

$28.37 R 468

-24.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

$40.69 R 671

3.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

$48.85 R 806

23.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

$11.13 R 184

-21.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

$8.83 R 146

-52.21%

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-33.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 F CFA 172.2K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-77.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$295 F CFA 172.7K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-81.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lome

$210 37.4%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 11.6% $24

Groceries & Markets

Lome

$140 * 25%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 58.9% $82

Eating Out

Lome

$136 24.3%

Cape Town

$174 11% 27.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Lome

$69 12.3%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 3.5% $2.4

Getting Around

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 1134% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Lome

- * 0%

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Accommodation & Living

Lome

- * 0%

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 454% 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 $31.00 in Lome versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $222 – making Lome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇬 Lome

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

2 h ahead of Lome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

837,437 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lome Cape Town 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lome
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

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

Cape Town costs about 181% more than Lome, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $836 per month in Lome and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $557 in Lome and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 181%.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lome, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Lome 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. Lome costs $557 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Lome. 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.