Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecin and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecin: $1,400 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Cape Town despite lower rent and utilities.

Szczecin, Poland
Cape Town, South Africa
Szczecin
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,400
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,400 per month in Szczecin vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Szczecin $1,400
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,074 per month in Szczecin vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Szczecin $2,074
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $2,749 per month in Szczecin vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Szczecin $2,749
  • Cape Town $3,306

Szczecin is about 8% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Szczecin and Cape Town sit above the global median – Szczecin by 4%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.12 zł 35.85
$12.01 R 199
-24.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.17 zł 182
$42.92 R 709
7.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.58 zł 33.74
$6.15 R 102
39.51%
Cappuccino
$2.92 zł 11.48
$2.37 R 39.16
23.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 zł 6.99
$1.27 R 21.03
40.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39 zł 5.46
$0.94 R 15.50
47.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 zł 12.05
$2.96 R 48.92
3.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 zł 11.60
$3.69 R 61.0
-20.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 zł 3.66
$1.32 R 21.80
-29.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 zł 5.07
$1.21 R 19.93
6.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.09 zł 4.31
$2.20 R 36.37
-50.45%
Eggs
$3.32 zł 13.07
$3.10 R 51.3
7.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.17 zł 36.05
$8.73 R 144
5.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.33 zł 24.89
$6.89 R 114
-8.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.53 zł 49.27
$9.26 R 153
35.31%
Apples (1kg)
$0.91 zł 3.58
$1.83 R 30.17
-50.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 zł 6.61
$1.95 R 32.22
-13.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 zł 6.31
$1.66 R 27.40
-3.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 zł 9.50
$2.14 R 35.30
13.08%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 zł 3.35
$1.58 R 26.09
-46.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 zł 4.02
$1.47 R 24.37
-30.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 zł 4.35
$1.35 R 22.25
-17.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 zł 2.30
$1.14 R 18.91
-49.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 zł 21.04
$3.58 R 59.1
49.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.31 zł 24.82
$6.05 R 100
4.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 zł 4.18
$1.39 R 23.02
-23.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 zł 5.70
$2.18 R 36.01
-33.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.78 zł 3.08
$1.40 R 23.09
-44.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.27 zł 99.4
$60.8 R 1,004
-58.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.21 zł 8.69
$0.93 R 15.31
137.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 zł 4.07
$0.90 R 14.88
15.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.57 zł 45.51
$4.96 R 82.0
133.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 zł 6.48
$1.54 R 25.45
7.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K zł 117.4K
$35.4K R 584.6K
-15.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K zł 111.7K
$33.4K R 551.6K
-14.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$236 zł 927
$117 R 1,935
101.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.16 zł 47.83
$25.71 R 425
-52.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.98 zł 70.7
$39.41 R 651
-54.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.35 zł 135
$51.6 R 853
-33.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$48.53 zł 191
$11.35 R 188
327.58%
Cinema Ticket
$7.75 zł 30.49
$8.89 R 147
-12.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$349 zł 1,371
$308 R 5,085
13.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,485 zł 29.4K
$8,141 R 134.6K
-8.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.7 zł 270
$57.4 R 948
19.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.59 zł 136
$31.75 R 525
8.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.0 zł 307
$116 R 1,917
-32.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.8 zł 361
$101 R 1,665
-8.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$666 zł 2,618
$1,047 R 17.3K
-36.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$551 zł 2,167
$669 R 11.1K
-17.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,245 zł 4,897
$1,861 R 30.8K
-33.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$926 zł 3,640
$1,407 R 23.3K
-34.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,375 zł 13.3K
$2,410 R 39.8K
40.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,428 zł 9,550
$1,570 R 25.9K
54.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Szczecin
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,673 zł 6,578
$1,630 R 26.9K
2.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
10.89
-37.37%

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

Last update for Szczecin: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Szczecin
$551
Cape Town
$669 21.4% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szczecin
$266
Cape Town
$182 31.5% $84
Groceries & Markets
Szczecin
$207
Cape Town
$223 8.1% $17
Eating Out
Szczecin
$168
Cape Town
$174 3.8% $6.4
Clothing & Footwear
Szczecin
$123
Cape Town
$138 12% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Szczecin
$50
Cape Town
$69 39.2% $20
Getting Around
Szczecin
$36
Cape Town
$72 101% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Szczecin 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 run about 3% higher in Szczecin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Szczecin versus $43 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Szczecin vs $223 in Cape Town – so Szczecin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Szczecin
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
15:36 3:36 PM
16:36 4:36 PM
1 h ahead of Szczecin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
387,700
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.93 PLN (1 PLN = 0.254 USD). 1 EUR = 4.42 PLN (1 PLN = 0.226 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Szczecin Cape Town 9,720 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Szczecin
  • 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
Szczecin vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Szczecin or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 9% more than Szczecin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Szczecin and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,099 per month in Szczecin 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, Szczecin or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Szczecin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $666 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Szczecin compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,400 in Szczecin and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Szczecin about 8% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Szczecin compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 58% less in Szczecin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Szczecin or Cape Town?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,400 in Szczecin to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Szczecin vs other spots: cost of living compared

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