Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perugia and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Perugia: $1,474 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Perugia, Italy
Cape Town, South Africa
Perugia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,474
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,474 per month in Perugia vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Perugia $1,474
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,333 per month in Perugia vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Perugia $2,333
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $3,191 per month in Perugia vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Perugia $3,191
  • Cape Town $3,306

Perugia is about 4% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Perugia and Cape Town sit above the global median – Perugia by 9%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.62 €15.70
$12.01 R 197
46.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.5 €65.5
$42.92 R 703
71.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.31 €10.08
$6.15 R 101
83.90%
Cappuccino
$1.80 €1.60
$2.37 R 38.81
-24.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 €2.62
$1.27 R 20.84
131.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 €1.35
$0.94 R 15.37
61.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.05
$2.96 R 48.48
91.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.49 €4.89
$3.69 R 60.5
48.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.32 R 21.61
-3.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.21 R 19.75
73.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.20 R 36.05
13.18%
Eggs
$4.21 €3.75
$3.10 R 50.8
35.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.30 €14.52
$8.73 R 143
86.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.28 €10.94
$6.89 R 113
78.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.87 €15.92
$9.26 R 152
92.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.83 R 29.90
-19.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.95 R 31.94
-19.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.66 R 27.16
15.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 €2.10
$2.14 R 34.99
10.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.58 R 25.86
-2.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.47 R 24.15
22.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.35 R 22.05
17.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.26 €0.23
$1.14 R 18.75
-77.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.04 €5.38
$3.58 R 58.6
68.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.81 €6.07
$6.05 R 99.2
12.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.39 R 22.82
7.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.18 R 35.69
-20.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.40 R 22.88
23.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.0 €54.4
$60.8 R 995
0.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.88 €3.46
$0.93 R 15.18
317.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.90 R 14.75
56.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.17 €25.10
$4.96 R 81.3
467.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.54 R 25.23
27.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.6K €30.9K
$35.4K R 579.4K
-2.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.4K
$33.4K R 546.7K
12.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$117 R 1,918
42.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.75 €7.79
$25.71 R 421
-65.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.37 €27.94
$39.41 R 646
-20.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.25 €42.09
$51.6 R 846
-8.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$55.3 €49.30
$11.35 R 186
387.58%
Cinema Ticket
$8.50 €7.58
$8.89 R 146
-4.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$592 €527
$308 R 5,040
92.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,002 €3,565
$8,141 R 133.4K
-50.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.1 €58.9
$57.4 R 940
15.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.51 €31.63
$31.75 R 520
11.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.7 €72.8
$116 R 1,900
-29.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 €83.3
$101 R 1,650
-7.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$570 €508
$1,047 R 17.1K
-45.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$442 €394
$669 R 11.0K
-33.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,045 €931
$1,861 R 30.5K
-43.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$756 €673
$1,407 R 23.1K
-46.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,871 €1,667
$2,410 R 39.5K
-22.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,109 €988
$1,570 R 25.7K
-29.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perugia
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,749 €1,558
$1,630 R 26.7K
7.29%
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 Perugia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perugia
$442
Cape Town
$669 51.4% $227
Groceries & Markets
Perugia
$303
Cape Town
$223 26.3% $80
Eating Out
Perugia
$254
Cape Town
$174 31.4% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perugia
$207
Cape Town
$182 12.2% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Perugia
$125
Cape Town
$138 10.5% $13
Getting Around
Perugia
$79
Cape Town
$72 9% $7.1
Sport & Entertainment
Perugia
$64
Cape Town
$69 8% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $570 in Perugia 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 7% higher in Perugia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Perugia versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Perugia
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
03:23 3:23 AM
04:23 4:23 AM
1 h ahead of Perugia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
162,527
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 = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perugia Cape Town 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Perugia
  • 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
Perugia vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Perugia or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 4% more than Perugia, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Perugia and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,211 per month in Perugia 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, Perugia or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Perugia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $570 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Perugia compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,474 in Perugia and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Perugia about 4% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Perugia and in Cape Town?
Kindergarten costs $592 per month in Perugia and $308 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Perugia or Cape Town?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Perugia costs $1,474 versus $1,527 in Cape Town. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Perugia vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?