Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mosta and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,065 in Mosta, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mosta, Malta
Cape Town, South Africa
Mosta
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,065
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,065 per month in Mosta vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Mosta $2,065
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,075 per month in Mosta vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Mosta $3,075
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,086 per month in Mosta vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Mosta $4,086
  • Cape Town $3,306

Mosta costs about 35% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mosta and Cape Town sit above the global median – Mosta by 53%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.08 €15.21
$12.01 R 198
42.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.5 €78.8
$42.92 R 707
106.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.34 €10.98
$6.15 R 101
100.65%
Cappuccino
$2.42 €2.16
$2.37 R 39.04
2.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.27 R 20.96
65.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$0.94 R 15.46
22.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.84 €2.53
$2.96 R 48.77
-4.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.00 €4.45
$3.69 R 60.8
35.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.32 R 21.73
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.21 R 19.87
15.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.39 €3.02
$2.20 R 36.26
54.09%
Eggs
$3.28 €2.92
$3.10 R 51.1
5.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.53 €9.37
$8.73 R 144
20.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.94 €10.63
$6.89 R 114
73.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.41 €10.16
$9.26 R 153
23.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.86 €3.43
$1.83 R 30.08
110.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 €2.37
$1.95 R 32.12
36.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.66 R 27.32
19.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 €3.28
$2.14 R 35.19
71.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.58 R 26.01
3.80%
Onion (1kg)
$2.52 €2.24
$1.47 R 24.29
71.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.35 R 22.18
68.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 €0.51
$1.14 R 18.85
-49.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.45 €5.74
$3.58 R 59.0
80.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.13 €5.46
$6.05 R 99.7
1.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.39 R 22.95
-12.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.14
$2.18 R 35.90
10.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.72 €2.42
$1.40 R 23.02
94.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$60.8 R 1,001
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.03 €3.59
$0.93 R 15.26
333.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.87 €1.67
$0.90 R 14.83
107.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.54 €24.52
$4.96 R 81.7
455.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.54 R 25.37
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$35.4K R 582.8K
-19.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$33.4K R 549.9K
15.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 €104
$117 R 1,929
-0.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.56 €21.87
$25.71 R 424
-4.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.59 €26.35
$39.41 R 649
-24.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.6 €68.2
$51.6 R 850
48.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.00 €30.27
$11.35 R 187
199.56%
Cinema Ticket
$10.97 €9.77
$8.89 R 146
23.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$278 €248
$308 R 5,069
-9.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.5K €11.2K
$8,141 R 134.2K
53.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.7 €50.5
$57.4 R 946
-1.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.4 €61.8
$31.75 R 523
118.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €100
$116 R 1,911
-2.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$101 R 1,660
30.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 €1,103
$1,047 R 17.2K
18.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,074 €957
$669 R 11.0K
60.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,945 €1,732
$1,861 R 30.7K
4.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,618 €1,441
$1,407 R 23.2K
15.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,410 R 39.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,570 R 25.9K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mosta
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,825 €1,625
$1,630 R 26.9K
11.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
10.89
-62.81%

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

Last update for Mosta: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mosta
$1.1K
Cape Town
$669 37.7% $405
Groceries & Markets
Mosta
$290
Cape Town
$223 23% $67
Eating Out
Mosta
$240
Cape Town
$174 27.5% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
$171
Cape Town
$182 6.5% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
$166
Cape Town
$138 17.3% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
$99
Cape Town
$69 29.6% $29
Getting Around
Mosta
$24 *
Cape Town
$72 196% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Mosta 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 run about 12% higher in Mosta, 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 $88 in Mosta versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Mosta
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
07:18 7:18 AM
08:18 8:18 AM
1 h ahead of Mosta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,241
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mosta Cape Town 7,780 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mosta
  • 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
Mosta vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mosta or Cape Town?
Mosta costs about 35% more than Cape Town, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mosta and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,097 per month in Mosta 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, Mosta or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,238 in Mosta.
How much does it cost to live in Mosta compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,065 in Mosta and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 26% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Mosta and in Cape Town?
Kindergarten costs $278 per month in Mosta 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 $1,000/month in Mosta or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,065 in Mosta and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Mosta or Cape Town?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,065 in Mosta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Mosta or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mosta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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