Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selfoss and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $3,460 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,460

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,460 per month in Selfoss vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Selfoss $3,460
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $2,461 per month in Selfoss vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Selfoss $2,461
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,462 per month in Selfoss vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Selfoss $1,462
Cape Town $3,307

Selfoss costs about 121% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Selfoss and Cape Town sit above the global median – Selfoss by 158%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.81 ISK 2,538

$5.96 R 98.4

249.16%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

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

$1.33 R 21.91

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.20 ISK 1,488

$3.01 R 49.72

305.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ISK 219

$1.39 R 22.96

28.78%

White Bread (500g)

$7.61 ISK 928

$1.19 R 19.60

539.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 ISK 544

$2.11 R 34.84

111.37%

Eggs

$6.56 ISK 800

$3.01 R 49.58

117.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.24 ISK 2,103

$8.96 R 148

92.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.77 ISK 2,655

$6.65 R 110

227.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.50 ISK 4,085

$9.29 R 153

260.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ISK 332

$1.83 R 30.13

48.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 ISK 335

$1.90 R 31.31

44.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ISK 324

$1.75 R 28.83

51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.51 ISK 916

$2.09 R 34.41

259.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ISK 391

$1.55 R 25.64

107.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ISK 266

$1.49 R 24.53

46.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 ISK 439

$1.30 R 21.41

176.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ISK 175

$1.16 R 19.19

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.97 ISK 1,947

$3.71 R 61.2

330.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ISK 143

$2.20 R 36.32

-46.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$116 R 1,920

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

$28.37 R 468

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 ISK 343.9K

$715 R 11.8K

294.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Selfoss: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selfoss

–

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Groceries & Markets

Selfoss

–

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selfoss

–

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Eating Out

Selfoss

–

Cape Town

$174 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Selfoss

–

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Getting Around

Selfoss

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Selfoss

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Good to know

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

12:24 12:24 PM

2 h ahead of Selfoss

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Selfoss Cape Town 11,420 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Selfoss
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

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

Selfoss costs about 121% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,190 per month in Selfoss and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,460 in Selfoss and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 121%.

Groceries cost about 136% more in Selfoss, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Selfoss at $3,460. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Selfoss it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $3,460 in Selfoss. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Selfoss makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.