Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetta and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetta: $418 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Quetta
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Quetta Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Quetta

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$418

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $418 per month in Quetta vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Quetta $418
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $625 per month in Quetta vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Quetta $625
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $833 per month in Quetta vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Quetta $833
Cape Town $3,263

Quetta is about 74% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quetta sits 69% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 PKR 1,029

$12.14 R 200

-69.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.99 PKR 3,041

$45.34 R 747

-75.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.39 PKR 1,216

$5.88 R 96.9

-25.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 493

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 PKR 1,414

Cappuccino

$1.59 PKR 439

$2.50 R 41.18

-36.40%

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

$0.39 PKR 107

$1.27 R 20.94

-69.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 PKR 60.0

$0.98 R 16.14

-77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 PKR 208

$1.30 R 21.40

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.25 R 20.68

-55.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 352

$2.23 R 36.76

-43.05%

Eggs

$1.17 PKR 323

$3.11 R 51.2

-62.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.95 PKR 1,370

$9.06 R 149

-45.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 PKR 818

$6.92 R 114

-57.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.14 PKR 1,422

$9.30 R 153

-44.73%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 PKR 271

$1.84 R 30.25

-46.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.96 R 32.29

-72.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 PKR 209

$1.67 R 27.45

-54.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 PKR 140

$2.17 R 35.70

-76.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 89.2

$1.57 R 25.81

-79.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$1.48 R 24.45

-64.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 117

$1.30 R 21.41

-67.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$1.13 R 18.60

-64.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.85 PKR 512

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 PKR 259

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 PKR 673

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 PKR 563

$3.60 R 59.3

-43.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 PKR 37.02

$1.50 R 24.65

-91.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 PKR 2,924

$60.8 R 1,001

-82.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 PKR 286

$0.59 R 9.71

74.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 PKR 118

$1.50 R 24.65

-71.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 PKR 507

$5.11 R 84.2

-64.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.55 R 25.50

-26.45%

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

$19.2K PKR 5.3M

$36.2K R 596.5K

-47.00%

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

$24.1K PKR 6.7M

$31.2K R 514.8K

-22.88%

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

$101 PKR 28.1K

$114 R 1,883

-11.33%

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

$7.92 PKR 2,191

$28.91 R 476

-72.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.49 PKR 4,565

$39.73 R 654

-58.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.73 PKR 1,587

$49.01 R 808

-88.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.93 PKR 2,194

$10.99 R 181

-27.84%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 PKR 877

$9.15 R 151

-65.36%

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

$35.15 PKR 9,727

$259 R 4,264

-86.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,026 PKR 284.0K

$6,794 R 111.9K

-84.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.14 PKR 2,252

$56.2 R 926

-85.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.53 PKR 6,511

$32.41 R 534

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 PKR 19.1K

$121 R 1,987

-42.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$108 R 1,781

-68.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$73.1 PKR 20.2K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-92.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.3 PKR 13.9K

$717 R 11.8K

-92.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$163 PKR 45.2K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-91.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.8 PKR 27.6K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-92.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$381 PKR 105.4K

$2,391 R 39.4K

-84.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$218 PKR 60.2K

$1,542 R 25.4K

-85.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 PKR 76.3K

$1,639 R 27.0K

-83.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

18.51%

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

Last update for Quetta: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quetta

$126 30.1%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 45.5% $57

Groceries & Markets

Quetta

$90 21.6%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 150% $135

Eating Out

Quetta

$64 15.4%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 174% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Quetta

$61 14.6%

Cape Town

$143 9% 135% $82

Accommodation & Living

Quetta

$50 12%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 1327% $667

Getting Around

Quetta

$14 3.4%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 424% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Quetta

$12 2.9%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 458% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $73.1 in Quetta versus $1,021 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 494% 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 $11.00 in Quetta versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90.0 vs $225 – making Quetta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Quetta

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

15:07 3:07 PM

3 h behind Quetta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,001,205

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quetta Cape Town 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Quetta
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

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

Cape Town costs about 280% more than Quetta, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $626 per month in Quetta and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quetta, 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 $418 in Quetta and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 280%.

Public transport costs about 475% less in Quetta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quetta, where all-in costs run around $418, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Quetta 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. Quetta costs $418 versus $1,586 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 Quetta. 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.