Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $492 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$492

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $492 per month in Mardan vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mardan $492
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $768 per month in Mardan vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mardan $768
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,045 per month in Mardan vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mardan $1,045
Cape Town $3,263

Mardan is about 69% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mardan sits 64% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 PKR 980

$12.14 R 200

-70.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.75 PKR 6,572

$45.34 R 747

-47.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,506

$5.88 R 96.9

-7.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 PKR 1,023

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 PKR 1,885

Cappuccino

$2.72 PKR 753

$2.50 R 41.18

8.80%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$1.27 R 20.94

-74.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.8

$0.98 R 16.14

-76.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 252

$1.30 R 21.40

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 199

$1.25 R 20.68

-42.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$2.23 R 36.76

-42.60%

Eggs

$1.16 PKR 320

$3.11 R 51.2

-62.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.82 PKR 781

$9.06 R 149

-68.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 870

$6.92 R 114

-54.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.89 PKR 1,076

$9.30 R 153

-58.17%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 PKR 258

$1.84 R 30.25

-49.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.96 R 32.29

-63.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 296

$1.67 R 27.45

-35.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 104

$2.17 R 35.70

-82.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 73.8

$1.57 R 25.81

-82.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.1

$1.48 R 24.45

-75.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.1

$1.30 R 21.41

-78.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.13 R 18.60

-67.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 495

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 651

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 507

$3.60 R 59.3

-49.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.24

$1.50 R 24.65

-89.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.19 PKR 2,821

$60.8 R 1,001

-83.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 346

$0.59 R 9.71

111.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 192

$1.50 R 24.65

-54.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 436

$5.11 R 84.2

-69.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 PKR 292

$1.55 R 25.50

-31.61%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$36.2K R 596.5K

-39.89%

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

$24.6K PKR 6.8M

$31.2K R 514.8K

-21.24%

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

$101 PKR 27.9K

$114 R 1,883

-11.96%

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

$5.88 PKR 1,628

$28.91 R 476

-79.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.89 PKR 4,674

$39.73 R 654

-57.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.54 PKR 4,578

$49.01 R 808

-66.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 PKR 1,978

$10.99 R 181

-34.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,224

$9.15 R 151

-51.69%

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

$75.8 PKR 21.0K

$259 R 4,264

-70.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,028 PKR 284.5K

$6,794 R 111.9K

-84.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.76 PKR 7,131

$56.2 R 926

-54.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 PKR 9,537

$32.41 R 534

6.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 PKR 26.2K

$121 R 1,987

-21.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.80 PKR 11.3K

$108 R 1,781

-62.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 PKR 35.0K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-87.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.6 PKR 20.9K

$717 R 11.8K

-89.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 PKR 69.9K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-86.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 PKR 41.3K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-88.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$830 PKR 229.7K

$2,391 R 39.4K

-65.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$443 PKR 122.7K

$1,542 R 25.4K

-71.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

10.97

19.23%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$123 25.1%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 48.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$88 17.9%

Cape Town

$143 9% 62.2% $55

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 17.1%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 168% $141

Eating Out

Mardan

$80 16.2%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 122% $97

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$76 15.4%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 848% $641

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$25 5.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 165% $42

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 382% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $127 in Mardan 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Mardan versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $84.0 vs $225 – making Mardan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

05:33 5:33 AM

3 h behind Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mardan Cape Town 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
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

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

Cape Town costs about 223% more than Mardan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $737 per month in Mardan 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 Mardan, 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 $492 in Mardan and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 223%.

Public transport costs about 496% less in Mardan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mardan, where all-in costs run around $492, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Mardan 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. Mardan costs $492 versus $1,586 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 Mardan. 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.