Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia: $1,296 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia
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Monrovia Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Monrovia

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,296

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,296 per month in Monrovia vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Monrovia $1,296
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,926 per month in Monrovia vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Monrovia $1,926
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,556 per month in Monrovia vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Monrovia $2,556
Cape Town $3,307

Monrovia is about 17% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Monrovia sits 3% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 LRD 1,248

$11.78 R 194

-37.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 LRD 1,850

$5.96 R 98.4

82.38%

Cappuccino

$2.96 LRD 505

$2.47 R 40.80

19.84%

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

$2.01 LRD 343

$1.33 R 21.91

51.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LRD 348

$1.03 R 16.99

98.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 LRD 667

$3.01 R 49.72

30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LRD 501

$3.66 R 60.4

-19.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 LRD 363

$1.39 R 22.96

53.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 308

$1.19 R 19.60

52.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 LRD 870

$2.11 R 34.84

142.18%

Eggs

$3.53 LRD 602

$3.01 R 49.58

17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 LRD 1,332

$8.96 R 148

-12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 LRD 2,048

$6.65 R 110

80.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 LRD 2,303

$9.29 R 153

45.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 LRD 272

$1.83 R 30.13

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$8.28 LRD 1,410

$1.90 R 31.31

335.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.11 LRD 1,721

$1.75 R 28.83

477.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.03 LRD 1,878

$2.09 R 34.41

427.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 LRD 384

$1.55 R 25.64

45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$10.54 LRD 1,795

$1.49 R 24.53

607.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.77 LRD 812

$1.30 R 21.41

266.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 LRD 350

$1.16 R 19.19

77.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 LRD 829

$3.71 R 61.2

31.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 LRD 1,219

$6.06 R 100

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 LRD 413

$1.39 R 22.85

74.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 LRD 586

$2.20 R 36.32

56.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 LRD 518

$1.51 R 24.98

101.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.82 LRD 3,374

$61.0 R 1,006

-67.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 LRD 350

$0.63 R 10.33

226.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 LRD 324

$1.53 R 25.29

24.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.14 LRD 4,280

$4.81 R 79.4

422.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 LRD 208

$1.58 R 26.08

-22.78%

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

$19.8K LRD 3.4M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-44.10%

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

$14.7K LRD 2.5M

$31.7K R 523.8K

-53.66%

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

$149 LRD 25.4K

$116 R 1,920

28.24%

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

$22.06 LRD 3,756

$28.37 R 468

-22.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$184 LRD 31.2K

$40.69 R 671

350.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 LRD 10.6K

$48.85 R 806

27.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 LRD 1,710

$11.13 R 184

-9.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 LRD 876

$8.83 R 146

-41.79%

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

$98.2 LRD 16.7K

$261 R 4,314

-62.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,018 LRD 173.3K

$6,702 R 110.6K

-84.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.95 LRD 4,248

$55.4 R 914

-54.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.14 LRD 5,472

$32.27 R 532

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 LRD 9,366

$118 R 1,939

-53.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 LRD 15.6K

$107 R 1,766

-14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 LRD 43.1K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-75.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.0 LRD 16.4K

$715 R 11.8K

-86.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 LRD 110.6K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-63.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 LRD 45.5K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-79.90%

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)

$704 LRD 119.8K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-57.00%

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 Monrovia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia

$456 35.6%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 51.3% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia

$355 27.6%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 47.7% $169

Eating Out

Monrovia

$169 13.1%

Cape Town

$174 11% 3.1% $5.1

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia

$96 7.5%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 645% $619

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia

$92 7.1%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 53.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia

$73 5.7%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 8.4% $6.1

Getting Around

Monrovia

$44 3.4%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 72.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $253 in Monrovia versus $1,015 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 133% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇱🇷 Monrovia

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

09:15 9:15 AM

2 h ahead of Monrovia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,010,970 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Liberian Dollar LRD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to LRD – Liberian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇷 Liberian Dollar ($)

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 170 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD). 1 EUR = 191 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.24 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 LRD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monrovia Cape Town 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia
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

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

Cape Town costs about 21% more than Monrovia, 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 $1,944 per month in Monrovia and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monrovia, 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 $1,296 in Monrovia and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $98.2 per month in Monrovia and $261 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Monrovia, where all-in costs run around $1,296, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Monrovia 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. Monrovia costs $1,296 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 Monrovia. 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.