Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,378 in Skien, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Skien
Learn more

Skien Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,378

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,378 per month in Skien vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Skien $2,378
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,353 per month in Skien vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Skien $3,353
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,329 per month in Skien vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Skien $4,329
Cape Town $3,306

Skien costs about 56% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Skien and Cape Town sit above the global median – Skien by 76%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.79 NOK 202

$12.01 R 197

81.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,004

$42.92 R 703

152.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.41 NOK 152

$6.15 R 101

166.83%

Cappuccino

$5.22 NOK 48.46

$2.37 R 38.81

120.25%

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

$4.43 NOK 41.10

$1.27 R 20.84

248.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 NOK 29.44

$0.94 R 15.37

237.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.72 NOK 109

$2.96 R 48.48

295.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.78 NOK 119

$3.69 R 60.5

246.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 NOK 19.15

$1.32 R 21.61

56.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 NOK 37.62

$1.21 R 19.75

234.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 NOK 41.44

$2.20 R 36.05

103.18%

Eggs

$5.76 NOK 53.5

$3.10 R 50.8

85.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 NOK 123

$8.73 R 143

51.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.25 NOK 151

$6.89 R 113

135.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.96 NOK 213

$9.26 R 152

147.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.17

$1.83 R 29.90

89.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$1.95 R 31.94

37.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 32.71

$1.66 R 27.16

112.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 NOK 54.4

$2.14 R 34.99

173.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 NOK 21.71

$1.58 R 25.86

48.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.29

$1.47 R 24.15

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 NOK 27.51

$1.35 R 22.05

119.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.56

$1.14 R 18.75

113.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.40 NOK 180

$3.58 R 58.6

441.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.89 NOK 147

$6.05 R 99.2

162.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 32.71

$1.39 R 22.82

153.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 NOK 40.88

$2.18 R 35.69

102.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 NOK 30.72

$1.40 R 22.88

136.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.55 NOK 441

$60.8 R 995

-21.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.48 NOK 107

$0.93 R 15.18

1134.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.85

$0.90 R 14.75

113.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.5 NOK 654

$4.96 R 81.3

1321.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.23

$1.54 R 25.23

48.70%

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

$50.1K NOK 465.3K

$35.4K R 579.4K

41.79%

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

$43.8K NOK 406.1K

$33.4K R 546.7K

31.14%

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

$99.8 NOK 926

$117 R 1,918

-14.79%

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

$34.90 NOK 324

$25.71 R 421

35.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NOK 511

$39.41 R 646

39.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.11 NOK 419

$51.6 R 846

-12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 NOK 147

$8.89 R 146

78.07%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$308 R 5,040

-22.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K NOK 163.2K

$8,141 R 133.4K

116.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 NOK 587

$57.4 R 940

10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 576

$31.75 R 520

95.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 NOK 852

$116 R 1,900

-20.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,474

$101 R 1,650

57.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 NOK 10.2K

$1,047 R 17.1K

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 NOK 9,083

$669 R 11.0K

46.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NOK 10.0K

$1,861 R 30.5K

-42.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 NOK 9,001

$1,407 R 23.1K

-31.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,540 NOK 32.9K

$2,410 R 39.5K

46.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,175 NOK 29.5K

$1,570 R 25.7K

102.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,282 NOK 39.7K

$1,630 R 26.7K

162.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

10.89

-59.87%

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

Last update for Skien: 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

Skien

$979 41.2%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 31.6% $310

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$481 20.2%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 53.6% $258

Eating Out

Skien

$401 16.9%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 56.6% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$190 8%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 4% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$169 7.1%

Cape Town

$138 9% 18.7% $32

Getting Around

Skien

$82 3.4%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 12.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$77 3.2%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 9.6% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,098 in Skien 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 in Skien are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Skien versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

1 h ahead of Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skien Cape Town 10,400 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Skien
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

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

Skien costs about 56% 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 $3,567 per month in Skien and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,098 in Skien and $1,047 in Cape Town. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,378 in Skien and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 36% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Skien. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,378 in Skien and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,378 in Skien. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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