Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malatya and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Malatya: $690 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Malatya
Learn more

Malatya Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Malatya

🇹🇷 Turkey

$690

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $690 per month in Malatya vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Malatya $690
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,039 per month in Malatya vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Malatya $1,039
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,389 per month in Malatya vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Malatya $1,389
Cape Town $3,263

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

Malatya sits 49% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 ₺231

$12.14 R 200

-61.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.82 ₺1,278

$45.34 R 747

-43.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 ₺345

$5.88 R 96.9

18.37%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₺81.1

$2.50 R 41.18

-34.40%

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

$0.92 ₺45.75

$1.27 R 20.94

-27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₺14.35

$0.98 R 16.14

-70.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 ₺114

$2.99 R 49.33

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₺173

$3.72 R 61.4

-6.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ₺39.72

$1.30 R 21.40

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₺38.78

$1.25 R 20.68

-37.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₺133

$2.23 R 36.76

20.18%

Eggs

$1.77 ₺87.4

$3.11 R 51.2

-43.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 ₺393

$9.06 R 149

-12.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 ₺119

$6.92 R 114

-65.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.71 ₺827

$9.30 R 153

79.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 ₺78.8

$1.84 R 30.25

-13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ₺75.8

$1.96 R 32.29

-21.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 ₺41.57

$1.67 R 27.45

-49.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ₺37.60

$2.17 R 35.70

-64.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₺21.62

$1.57 R 25.81

-71.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 ₺17.02

$1.48 R 24.45

-77.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ₺26.06

$1.30 R 21.41

-59.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₺22.26

$1.13 R 18.60

-60.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 ₺98.6

$3.60 R 59.3

-44.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.97 ₺592

$6.15 R 101

94.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₺97.8

$1.38 R 22.66

43.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₺112

$2.14 R 35.20

5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₺13.26

$1.50 R 24.65

-82.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 ₺44.07

$0.59 R 9.71

50.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₺22.51

$1.50 R 24.65

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₺66.8

$1.55 R 25.50

-12.90%

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

$37.8K ₺1.9M

$36.2K R 596.5K

4.48%

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

$36.8K ₺1.8M

$31.2K R 514.8K

17.66%

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

$30.31 ₺1,501

$114 R 1,883

-73.49%

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

$9.97 ₺494

$28.91 R 476

-65.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.28 ₺707

$39.73 R 654

-64.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.88 ₺1,727

$49.01 R 808

-28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 ₺262

$9.15 R 151

-42.19%

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.28 ₺756

$56.2 R 926

-72.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 ₺3,520

$32.41 R 534

119.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.7 ₺2,512

$121 R 1,987

-57.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.33 ₺1,502

$108 R 1,781

-71.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₺15.7K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ₺10.7K

$717 R 11.8K

-69.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ₺21.3K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-76.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ₺14.7K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-77.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$921 ₺45.6K

$1,639 R 27.0K

-43.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

291.98%

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

Last update for Malatya: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malatya

$217 31.5%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 230% $500

Groceries & Markets

Malatya

$192 27.8%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 17.3% $33

Eating Out

Malatya

$101 14.7%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 73.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Malatya

$75 10.9%

Cape Town

$143 9% 89.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malatya

$55 7.9%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 235% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Malatya

$45 6.6%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 48.1% $22

Getting Around

Malatya

$4.2 * 0.6%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 1669% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $317 in Malatya 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.

Salaries run about 78% 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 $26.00 in Malatya versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $225 – making Malatya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Malatya

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

20:58 8:58 PM

1 h behind Malatya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

781,305

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malatya Cape Town 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Malatya
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

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

Cape Town costs about 130% more than Malatya, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,035 per month in Malatya and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malatya, 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 $690 in Malatya and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 130%.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malatya, where all-in costs run around $690, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Malatya 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. Malatya costs $690 versus $1,586 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 Malatya. 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.