Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maglaj and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Maglaj: $888 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Maglaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cape Town, South Africa
Maglaj
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$888
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $888 per month in Maglaj vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Maglaj $888
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $1,378 per month in Maglaj vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Maglaj $1,378
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $1,868 per month in Maglaj vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Maglaj $1,868
  • Cape Town $3,306

Maglaj is about 42% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Maglaj sits 34% below the global median, while Cape Town is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.96 BAM 12.12
$12.01 R 198
-42.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.88 BAM 64.3
$42.92 R 707
-14.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.79 BAM 11.83
$6.15 R 101
10.41%
Cappuccino
$1.71 BAM 2.97
$2.37 R 39.04
-27.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 BAM 3.32
$1.27 R 20.96
50.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 BAM 2.08
$0.94 R 15.46
27.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 BAM 3.92
$2.96 R 48.77
-23.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 BAM 4.03
$3.69 R 60.8
-37.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 BAM 2.56
$1.32 R 21.73
11.36%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 BAM 1.72
$1.21 R 19.87
-18.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 BAM 3.07
$2.20 R 36.26
-20.00%
Eggs
$2.71 BAM 4.72
$3.10 R 51.1
-12.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.54 BAM 13.14
$8.73 R 144
-13.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.92 BAM 12.06
$6.89 R 114
0.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.52 BAM 16.59
$9.26 R 153
2.81%
Apples (1kg)
$1.12 BAM 1.94
$1.83 R 30.08
-38.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 BAM 2.78
$1.95 R 32.12
-17.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.70 BAM 2.96
$1.66 R 27.32
2.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 BAM 2.93
$2.14 R 35.19
-21.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.17 BAM 2.03
$1.58 R 26.01
-25.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 BAM 1.95
$1.47 R 24.29
-23.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 BAM 1.72
$1.35 R 22.18
-26.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 BAM 1.44
$1.14 R 18.85
-27.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.37 BAM 5.88
$3.58 R 59.0
-5.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.95 BAM 12.11
$6.05 R 99.7
14.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 BAM 1.96
$1.39 R 22.95
-19.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.16 BAM 2.02
$2.18 R 35.90
-46.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 BAM 2.04
$1.40 R 23.02
-16.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$60.8 R 1,001
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 BAM 3.02
$0.93 R 15.26
87.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 BAM 1.96
$0.90 R 14.83
24.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.48 BAM 18.26
$4.96 R 81.7
111.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 BAM 2.76
$1.54 R 25.37
2.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K BAM 51.5K
$35.4K R 582.8K
-16.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K BAM 36.6K
$33.4K R 549.9K
-37.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.3 BAM 157
$117 R 1,929
-22.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.77 BAM 32.70
$25.71 R 424
-26.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.72 BAM 50.0
$39.41 R 649
-27.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.89 BAM 59.0
$51.6 R 850
-34.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.04 BAM 22.71
$11.35 R 187
14.89%
Cinema Ticket
$4.49 BAM 7.81
$8.89 R 146
-49.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$138 BAM 241
$308 R 5,069
-55.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.5K BAM 32.2K
$8,141 R 134.2K
126.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 BAM 126
$57.4 R 946
25.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.15 BAM 56.0
$31.75 R 523
1.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.1 BAM 166
$116 R 1,911
-18.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 BAM 228
$101 R 1,660
30.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$319 BAM 555
$1,047 R 17.2K
-69.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$222 BAM 387
$669 R 11.0K
-66.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$507 BAM 883
$1,861 R 30.7K
-72.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$360 BAM 627
$1,407 R 23.2K
-74.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 BAM 4,076
$2,410 R 39.7K
-2.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,607 BAM 2,801
$1,570 R 25.9K
2.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maglaj
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$740 BAM 1,290
$1,630 R 26.9K
-54.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.3
10.89
-60.51%

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

Last update for Maglaj: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Maglaj
$222
Cape Town
$669 201% $447
Groceries & Markets
Maglaj
$200
Cape Town
$223 11.5% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Maglaj
$149
Cape Town
$138 7.4% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maglaj
$138
Cape Town
$182 32.3% $44
Eating Out
Maglaj
$125
Cape Town
$174 39.4% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Maglaj
$43
Cape Town
$69 61.9% $27
Getting Around
Maglaj
$12 *
Cape Town
$72 497% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $319 in Maglaj 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 in Cape Town are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Maglaj versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $223 – making Maglaj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇦 Maglaj
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
09:45 9:45 AM
10:45 10:45 AM
1 h ahead of Maglaj
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,000
3,740,026 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

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
  • Maglaj Cape Town 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Maglaj
  • 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
Maglaj vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Maglaj or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 72% more than Maglaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Maglaj and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,332 per month in Maglaj 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, Maglaj or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maglaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $319 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Maglaj compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $888 in Maglaj and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Maglaj about 42% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Maglaj and in Cape Town?
Kindergarten costs $138 per month in Maglaj and $308 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 $1,200/month in Maglaj or in Cape Town?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Maglaj, where all-in costs run around $888, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Maglaj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Maglaj – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Maglaj or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Maglaj. If higher salaries 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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