Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redcar and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $2,378 in Redcar, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Redcar
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,378
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,568
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,378 per month in Redcar vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Redcar $2,378
  • Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $3,424 per month in Redcar vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Redcar $3,424
  • Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $4,469 per month in Redcar vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Redcar $4,469
  • Cape Town $3,307

Redcar costs about 52% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Redcar and Cape Town sit above the global median – Redcar by 77%, Cape Town by 17%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.40 £16.17
$11.78 R 195
81.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.5 £51.8
$46.55 R 772
47.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 £9.12
$5.96 R 98.9
102.52%
Cappuccino
$3.43 £2.59
$2.47 R 41.01
38.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 £1.77
$1.33 R 22.03
75.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 £1.47
$1.03 R 17.08
88.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.65 £3.51
$3.01 R 49.98
54.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 £3.25
$3.66 R 60.8
17.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 £0.93
$1.39 R 23.08
-10.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 £1.03
$1.19 R 19.70
14.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.57 £2.70
$2.11 R 35.02
69.19%
Eggs
$3.65 £2.76
$3.01 R 49.84
21.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.85 £5.93
$8.96 R 149
-12.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.27 £5.50
$6.65 R 110
9.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.50 £5.67
$9.29 R 154
-19.27%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 £2.48
$1.83 R 30.28
79.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.93 £2.22
$1.90 R 31.47
54.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.46 £2.61
$1.75 R 28.98
97.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.65 £2.76
$2.09 R 34.59
74.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 £1.31
$1.55 R 25.78
11.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 £1.34
$1.49 R 24.65
18.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.91
$1.30 R 21.53
-7.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 £1.49
$1.16 R 19.29
69.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.40 £13.91
$3.71 R 61.5
395.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.08 £6.86
$6.06 R 101
49.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.88 £3.69
$1.39 R 22.97
251.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 £2.78
$2.20 R 36.51
67.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.36 £2.54
$1.51 R 25.11
122.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.2 £63.6
$61.0 R 1,011
38.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.29 £3.24
$0.63 R 10.38
580.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.53 R 25.42
16.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.30 £25.17
$4.81 R 79.8
592.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.58
$1.58 R 26.22
32.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K £28.2K
$35.5K R 588.7K
5.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K £30.4K
$31.7K R 526.6K
26.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$350 £265
$116 R 1,930
200.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.45 £19.23
$28.37 R 471
-10.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.04 £34.05
$40.69 R 675
10.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.50 £36.66
$48.85 R 810
-0.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.13 R 185
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.02 £12.87
$8.83 R 146
92.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$813 £614
$261 R 4,336
210.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.7K £17.2K
$6,702 R 111.2K
239.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 £83.2
$55.4 R 919
98.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.0 £41.58
$32.27 R 535
70.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 £85.3
$118 R 1,949
-4.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 £83.3
$107 R 1,775
2.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 £915
$1,015 R 16.8K
19.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$876 £662
$715 R 11.9K
22.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,817 £1,373
$1,801 R 29.9K
0.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 £1,309
$1,330 R 22.1K
30.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,711 £4,317
$2,331 R 38.7K
145.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,459 £2,614
$1,513 R 25.1K
128.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Redcar
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,636 R 27.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.53
10.97
-49.59%

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

Last update for Redcar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Redcar
$876
Cape Town
$715 18.4% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redcar
$420
Cape Town
$185 55.9% $235
Eating Out
Redcar
$297
Cape Town
$174 41.6% $124
Groceries & Markets
Redcar
$290
Cape Town
$222 23.4% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Redcar
$175
Cape Town
$141 19.5% $34
Getting Around
Redcar
$111
Cape Town
$75 32.1% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Redcar
$83
Cape Town
$67 19.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,210 in Redcar 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Redcar versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $222 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Redcar
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
07:24 7:24 AM
08:24 8:24 AM
1 h ahead of Redcar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,000
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Redcar Cape Town 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Redcar
  • 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
Redcar vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Redcar or Cape Town?
Redcar costs about 52% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 Redcar and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,567 per month in Redcar and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Redcar or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Redcar compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,378 in Redcar and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 52%.
How expensive is transport in Redcar compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 38% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Redcar or in Cape Town?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Redcar at $2,378. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redcar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Redcar or Cape Town?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $2,378 in Redcar. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Redcar or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Redcar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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