Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oradea and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Oradea: $975 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Oradea
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Oradea Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Oradea

🇷🇴 Romania

$975

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $975 per month in Oradea vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Oradea $975
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,443 per month in Oradea vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Oradea $1,443
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Oradea vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Oradea $1,912
Cape Town $3,307

Oradea is about 38% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Oradea sits 27% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.49 RON 40.15

$11.78 R 194

-27.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.39 RON 200

$46.55 R 768

-8.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 RON 35.42

$5.96 R 98.4

25.67%

Cappuccino

$2.61 RON 12.34

$2.47 R 40.80

5.67%

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

$1.82 RON 8.61

$1.33 R 21.91

36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.04

$1.03 R 16.99

65.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 RON 10.17

$3.01 R 49.72

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 RON 15.21

$3.66 R 60.4

-12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 RON 7.00

$1.39 R 22.96

6.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RON 4.83

$1.19 R 19.60

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.64

$2.11 R 34.84

-43.60%

Eggs

$2.85 RON 13.46

$3.01 R 49.58

-5.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 RON 39.03

$8.96 R 148

-7.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 RON 29.45

$6.65 R 110

-6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 RON 42.80

$9.29 R 153

-2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 RON 5.03

$1.83 R 30.13

-42.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.01

$1.90 R 31.31

-22.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.85

$1.75 R 28.83

-17.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$2.09 R 34.41

-33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.09

$1.55 R 25.64

-44.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.17

$1.49 R 24.53

-40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 RON 3.30

$1.30 R 21.41

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.89

$1.16 R 19.19

-29.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 RON 28.12

$3.71 R 61.2

60.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 RON 26.93

$6.06 R 100

-6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.91

$1.39 R 22.85

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 RON 8.68

$2.20 R 36.32

-16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.51 R 24.98

-49.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.97 RON 89.7

$61.0 R 1,006

-68.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$0.63 R 10.33

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 RON 3.61

$1.53 R 25.29

-50.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 RON 34.41

$4.81 R 79.4

51.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.40

$1.58 R 26.08

12.66%

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

$28.6K RON 135.5K

$35.5K R 585.7K

-19.32%

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

$25.1K RON 118.6K

$31.7K R 523.8K

-21.02%

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

$137 RON 649

$116 R 1,920

17.97%

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

$6.32 RON 29.90

$28.37 R 468

-77.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.08 RON 38.21

$40.69 R 671

-80.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.21 RON 219

$48.85 R 806

-5.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 RON 76.6

$11.13 R 184

45.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 RON 35.46

$8.83 R 146

-15.06%

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

$397 RON 1,876

$261 R 4,314

51.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,125 RON 43.2K

$6,702 R 110.6K

36.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 RON 287

$55.4 R 914

9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.01 RON 175

$32.27 R 532

14.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 RON 256

$118 R 1,939

-54.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 RON 304

$107 R 1,766

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 RON 1,895

$1,015 R 16.7K

-60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 RON 1,466

$715 R 11.8K

-56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,534

$1,801 R 29.7K

-70.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 RON 1,876

$1,330 R 22.0K

-70.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,969 RON 9,314

$2,331 R 38.5K

-15.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,925 RON 9,105

$1,513 R 25.0K

27.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$895 RON 4,235

$1,636 R 27.0K

-45.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

10.97

-35.28%

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

Last update for Oradea: 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

Oradea

$310 31.4%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 131% $405

Groceries & Markets

Oradea

$188 19.1%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 18% $34

Eating Out

Oradea

$153 15.5%

Cape Town

$174 11% 13.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oradea

$152 15.4%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 22.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Oradea

$97 9.8%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 44.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Oradea

$61 6.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 8.7% $5.3

Getting Around

Oradea

$27 2.7%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 183% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Oradea 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 83% 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 $42.00 in Oradea versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $222 – making Oradea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Oradea

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

03:38 3:38 AM

1 h behind Oradea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

196,367

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 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 RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oradea Cape Town 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Oradea
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

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

Cape Town costs about 61% more than Oradea, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,462 per month in Oradea 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 Oradea, 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 $975 in Oradea and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 61%.

Public transport costs about 221% less in Oradea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oradea, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Oradea 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. Oradea costs $975 versus $1,568 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 Oradea. 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.