Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niamey and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Niamey: $1,338 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Niamey
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Niamey Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Niamey

🇳🇪 Niger

$1,338

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,338 per month in Niamey vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Niamey $1,338
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,732 per month in Niamey vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Niamey $1,732
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,125 per month in Niamey vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Niamey $2,125
Cape Town $3,307

Niamey is about 15% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Niamey and Cape Town sit above the global median – Niamey by 0%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 F CFA 3,829

$11.78 R 194

-44.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.86 F CFA 22.7K

$46.55 R 768

-16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 F CFA 5,665

$5.96 R 98.4

62.42%

Cappuccino

$3.10 F CFA 1,815

$2.47 R 40.80

25.51%

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

$1.47 F CFA 858

$1.33 R 21.91

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 F CFA 555

$1.03 R 16.99

-7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 F CFA 781

$3.01 R 49.72

-55.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 F CFA 1,727

$3.66 R 60.4

-19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 F CFA 1,453

$1.39 R 22.96

78.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 F CFA 336

$1.19 R 19.60

-52.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 982

$2.11 R 34.84

-20.38%

Eggs

$2.18 F CFA 1,276

$3.01 R 49.58

-27.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 F CFA 3,480

$6.65 R 110

-10.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 F CFA 4,453

$9.29 R 153

-18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 F CFA 2,088

$1.83 R 30.13

95.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 F CFA 941

$1.90 R 31.31

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 F CFA 1,649

$1.75 R 28.83

61.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 971

$2.09 R 34.41

-20.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 F CFA 855

$1.55 R 25.64

-5.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 F CFA 412

$1.49 R 24.53

-53.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 F CFA 521

$1.30 R 21.41

-31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 F CFA 626

$1.16 R 19.19

-7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 F CFA 1,536

$3.71 R 61.2

-29.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 F CFA 8,158

$6.06 R 100

130.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 F CFA 801

$1.39 R 22.85

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 F CFA 2,006

$2.20 R 36.32

55.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 F CFA 214

$1.51 R 24.98

-75.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 F CFA 264

$0.63 R 10.33

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 F CFA 213

$1.53 R 25.29

-76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 F CFA 5,155

$4.81 R 79.4

83.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 F CFA 545

$1.58 R 26.08

-41.14%

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

$20.8K F CFA 12.2M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-41.35%

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

$24.4K F CFA 14.3M

$31.7K R 523.8K

-23.20%

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

$171 F CFA 99.9K

$116 R 1,920

46.73%

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

$17.34 F CFA 10.1K

$28.37 R 468

-38.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.1 F CFA 51.6K

$40.69 R 671

116.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 F CFA 44.2K

$48.85 R 806

54.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 F CFA 3,027

$8.83 R 146

-41.45%

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

$1,044 F CFA 610.9K

$261 R 4,314

299.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,311 F CFA 2.5M

$6,702 R 110.6K

-35.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 F CFA 41.3K

$55.4 R 914

27.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.9 F CFA 51.4K

$32.27 R 532

172.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.5 F CFA 30.7K

$118 R 1,939

-55.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 F CFA 40.3K

$107 R 1,766

-35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 F CFA 560.6K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 F CFA 307.7K

$715 R 11.8K

-26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 F CFA 469.1K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 F CFA 250.2K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-67.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 F CFA 1.0M

$2,331 R 38.5K

-24.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$982 F CFA 574.7K

$1,513 R 25.0K

-35.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$400 F CFA 233.8K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-75.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

-17.96%

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

Last update for Niamey: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Niamey

$526 38.4%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 36% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Niamey

$276 20.2%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 32.9% $91

Groceries & Markets

Niamey

$209 * 15.3%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 6.2% $13

Eating Out

Niamey

$141 10.3%

Cape Town

$174 11% 23.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Niamey

$126 9.2%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 11.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Niamey

$86 6.3%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 22.6% $19

Getting Around

Niamey

$3.7 * 0.3%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 1919% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $958 in Niamey 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 309% 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 $39.00 in Niamey versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $222 – making Niamey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇪 Niamey

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

1 h ahead of Niamey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,026,848 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Niamey Cape Town 5,550 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Niamey
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

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

Cape Town costs about 17% more than Niamey, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,008 per month in Niamey 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 Niamey, 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 $1,338 in Niamey and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $1,044 per month in Niamey 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 Niamey, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Niamey 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. Niamey costs $1,338 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 Niamey. 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.