Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisa and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,243 in Pisa, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Pisa, Italy
Cape Town, South Africa
Pisa
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,243
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,243 per month in Pisa vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Pisa $2,243
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,350 per month in Pisa vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Pisa $3,350
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,456 per month in Pisa vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Pisa $4,456
  • Cape Town $3,306

Pisa costs about 47% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pisa and Cape Town sit above the global median – Pisa by 66%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.04 €17.85
$12.01 R 197
66.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.4 €72.5
$42.92 R 703
89.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.46 €10.20
$6.15 R 101
86.34%
Cappuccino
$2.01 €1.79
$2.37 R 38.81
-15.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 €2.91
$1.27 R 20.84
157.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.94 R 15.37
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.66 €5.93
$2.96 R 48.48
125.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 €4.09
$3.69 R 60.5
24.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.32 R 21.61
29.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.21 R 19.75
73.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.23 €2.88
$2.20 R 36.05
46.82%
Eggs
$5.35 €4.76
$3.10 R 50.8
72.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$27.47 €24.47
$8.73 R 143
214.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.87 €14.13
$6.89 R 113
130.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.03 €22.30
$9.26 R 152
170.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 €2.60
$1.83 R 29.90
59.56%
Banana (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.95 R 31.94
9.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.33 €2.97
$1.66 R 27.16
100.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.19 €2.84
$2.14 R 34.99
49.07%
Potato (1kg)
$3.09 €2.76
$1.58 R 25.86
95.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.47 R 24.15
40.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.35 R 22.05
39.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 €0.80
$1.14 R 18.75
-21.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 €7.09
$3.58 R 58.6
122.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.51 €7.58
$6.05 R 99.2
40.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 €2.32
$1.39 R 22.82
87.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.06 €3.62
$2.18 R 35.69
86.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.40 R 22.88
32.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.27 €38.54
$60.8 R 995
-28.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.57 €4.96
$0.93 R 15.18
498.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.25 €2.01
$0.90 R 14.75
150.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.97 €10.66
$4.96 R 81.3
141.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.54 R 25.23
35.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K €31.3K
$35.4K R 579.4K
-0.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.3K €33.2K
$33.4K R 546.7K
11.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$333 €297
$117 R 1,918
184.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.12 €10.80
$25.71 R 421
-52.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.82 €37.25
$39.41 R 646
6.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.61 €42.41
$51.6 R 846
-7.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.97 €22.24
$11.35 R 186
120.00%
Cinema Ticket
$10.74 €9.57
$8.89 R 146
20.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$653 €582
$308 R 5,040
112.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,729 €7,776
$8,141 R 133.4K
7.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 €89.5
$57.4 R 940
75.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$74.8 €66.7
$31.75 R 520
135.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.6 €77.1
$116 R 1,900
-25.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$192 €171
$101 R 1,650
90.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 €945
$1,047 R 17.1K
1.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$800 €712
$669 R 11.0K
19.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,751 €1,560
$1,861 R 30.5K
-5.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,158
$1,407 R 23.1K
-7.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,401 €3,030
$2,410 R 39.5K
41.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,811 €2,504
$1,570 R 25.7K
79.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pisa
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,801 €1,604
$1,630 R 26.7K
10.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.7
10.89
-66.02%

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

Last update for Pisa: 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
Pisa
$800
Cape Town
$669 16.3% $131
Groceries & Markets
Pisa
$436
Cape Town
$223 48.8% $213
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisa
$387
Cape Town
$182 52.9% $205
Eating Out
Pisa
$280
Cape Town
$174 37.8% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Pisa
$204
Cape Town
$138 32.6% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Pisa
$69
Cape Town
$69 0.4% $0.3
Getting Around
Pisa
$68
Cape Town
$72 6.3% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,061 in Pisa 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 10% higher in Pisa, 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 $81 in Pisa versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $436 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Pisa
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
01:01 1:01 AM
02:01 2:01 AM
1 h ahead of Pisa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
97,888
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
  • Pisa Cape Town 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pisa
  • 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
Pisa vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pisa or Cape Town?
Pisa costs about 47% 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 Pisa and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,365 per month in Pisa and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Pisa compared to Cape Town?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,061 in Pisa and $1,047 in Cape Town. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How much does it cost to live in Pisa compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,243 in Pisa and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 32% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Pisa compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 29% less in Pisa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Pisa or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,243 in Pisa 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: Pisa 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 $2,243 in Pisa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Pisa or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pisa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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