Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reims and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,801 in Reims, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Reims, France
Cape Town, South Africa
Reims
🇫🇷 France
$1,801
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,801 per month in Reims vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Reims $1,801
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,671 per month in Reims vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Reims $2,671
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $3,541 per month in Reims vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Reims $3,541
  • Cape Town $3,306

Reims costs about 18% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Reims and Cape Town sit above the global median – Reims by 33%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 €14.74
$12.01 R 198
37.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.6 €60.2
$42.92 R 707
57.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.77 €12.26
$6.15 R 101
123.90%
Cappuccino
$3.21 €2.86
$2.37 R 39.04
35.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$1.27 R 20.96
194.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.59
$0.94 R 15.46
209.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.24 €6.45
$2.96 R 48.77
144.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 €6.05
$3.69 R 60.8
84.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.32 R 21.73
-3.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.21 R 19.87
-8.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 €1.97
$2.20 R 36.26
0.91%
Eggs
$3.52 €3.14
$3.10 R 51.1
13.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$33.79 €30.09
$8.73 R 144
287.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.93 €7.95
$6.89 R 114
29.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.31 €12.74
$9.26 R 153
54.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 €2.61
$1.83 R 30.08
60.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.95 R 32.12
16.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$1.66 R 27.32
49.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.60 €4.10
$2.14 R 35.19
114.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 €1.63
$1.58 R 26.01
16.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.47 R 24.29
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 €1.11
$1.35 R 22.18
-8.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.14 R 18.85
-2.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.41 €11.94
$3.58 R 59.0
274.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.79 €7.82
$6.05 R 99.7
45.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.39 R 22.95
64.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 €2.05
$2.18 R 35.90
5.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.40 R 23.02
64.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.50 €39.62
$60.8 R 1,001
-26.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.82 €7.85
$0.93 R 15.26
848.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 €1.12
$0.90 R 14.83
40.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.26 €29.61
$4.96 R 81.7
570.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.54 R 25.37
40.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €31.0K
$35.4K R 582.8K
-1.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K €32.0K
$33.4K R 549.9K
7.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$212 €189
$117 R 1,929
81.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.53 €25.41
$25.71 R 424
10.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.93 €34.66
$39.41 R 649
-1.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.79 €32.76
$51.6 R 850
-28.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.04 €9.83
$11.35 R 187
-2.73%
Cinema Ticket
$12.21 €10.87
$8.89 R 146
37.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$659 €587
$308 R 5,069
114.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K €8,920
$8,141 R 134.2K
23.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.6 €75.3
$57.4 R 946
47.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.90 €35.53
$31.75 R 523
25.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.2 €81.2
$116 R 1,911
-21.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.0
$101 R 1,660
4.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$667 €594
$1,047 R 17.2K
-36.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$601 €535
$669 R 11.0K
-10.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,252 €1,115
$1,861 R 30.7K
-32.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$897 €798
$1,407 R 23.2K
-36.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,378 €4,789
$2,410 R 39.7K
123.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,739 €3,330
$1,570 R 25.9K
138.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reims
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,425
$1,630 R 26.9K
-1.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
10.89
-66.30%

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

Last update for Reims: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reims
$601
Cape Town
$669 11.4% $68
Groceries & Markets
Reims
$357
Cape Town
$223 37.5% $134
Eating Out
Reims
$289
Cape Town
$174 39.7% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reims
$280
Cape Town
$182 34.9% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Reims
$145
Cape Town
$138 4.8% $7
Getting Around
Reims
$69
Cape Town
$72 4.3% $3
Sport & Entertainment
Reims
$61
Cape Town
$69 13.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $667 in Reims 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Reims versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Reims
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
02:30 2:30 AM
03:30 3:30 AM
1 h ahead of Reims
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
179,380
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 = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reims Cape Town 9,360 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reims
  • 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
Reims vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Reims or Cape Town?
Reims costs about 18% 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 Reims and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,702 per month in Reims 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, Reims or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Reims, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $667 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Reims compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,801 in Reims and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 15% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Reims compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Reims. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Reims or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,801 in Reims 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: Reims 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 $1,801 in Reims. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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