Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Szombathely: $1,225 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Szombathely
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Szombathely Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Szombathely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,225

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,225 per month in Szombathely vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Szombathely $1,225
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $1,940 per month in Szombathely vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Szombathely $1,940
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $2,654 per month in Szombathely vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Szombathely $2,654
Cape Town $3,306

Szombathely is about 20% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Szombathely sits 9% below the global median, while Cape Town is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.50 Ft 3,728

$12.01 R 198

-4.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 Ft 17.0K

$42.92 R 707

22.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 Ft 2,948

$6.15 R 101

47.80%

Cappuccino

$2.46 Ft 798

$2.37 R 39.04

3.80%

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

$1.30 Ft 422

$1.27 R 20.96

2.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 410

$0.94 R 15.46

35.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 Ft 553

$2.96 R 48.77

-42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 Ft 759

$3.69 R 60.8

-36.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.32 R 21.73

-6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 Ft 524

$1.21 R 19.87

33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 Ft 781

$2.20 R 36.26

9.55%

Eggs

$3.14 Ft 1,017

$3.10 R 51.1

1.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 Ft 3,277

$8.73 R 144

15.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 Ft 2,202

$6.89 R 114

-1.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.24 Ft 5,263

$9.26 R 153

75.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 694

$1.83 R 30.08

16.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 Ft 667

$1.95 R 32.12

5.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 764

$1.66 R 27.32

42.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 Ft 1,071

$2.14 R 35.19

54.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 Ft 364

$1.58 R 26.01

-29.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 Ft 435

$1.47 R 24.29

-8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 Ft 574

$1.35 R 22.18

31.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 176

$1.14 R 18.85

-52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 Ft 2,935

$3.58 R 59.0

152.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.59 Ft 1,489

$6.05 R 99.7

-24.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 412

$1.39 R 22.95

-8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 Ft 830

$2.18 R 35.90

17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 Ft 282

$1.40 R 23.02

-37.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.23 Ft 8,503

$60.8 R 1,001

-56.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Ft 869

$0.93 R 15.26

188.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 Ft 433

$0.90 R 14.83

48.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.61 Ft 7,652

$4.96 R 81.7

376.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 588

$1.54 R 25.37

17.53%

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

$27.2K Ft 8.8M

$35.4K R 582.8K

-23.02%

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

$32.2K Ft 10.4M

$33.4K R 549.9K

-3.63%

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

$170 Ft 55.2K

$117 R 1,929

45.60%

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

$20.96 Ft 6,795

$25.71 R 424

-18.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.74 Ft 6,721

$39.41 R 649

-47.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 Ft 16.3K

$51.6 R 850

-2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 Ft 5,829

$11.35 R 187

58.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 Ft 1,498

$8.89 R 146

-48.03%

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

$422 Ft 136.8K

$308 R 5,069

37.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,515 Ft 2.4M

$8,141 R 134.2K

-7.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 Ft 31.9K

$57.4 R 946

71.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 Ft 16.7K

$31.75 R 523

62.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 Ft 30.7K

$116 R 1,911

-18.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 Ft 35.7K

$101 R 1,660

9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 Ft 171.6K

$1,047 R 17.2K

-49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 Ft 106.7K

$669 R 11.0K

-50.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 Ft 243.1K

$1,861 R 30.7K

-59.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 Ft 206.4K

$1,407 R 23.2K

-54.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,390 Ft 774.8K

$2,410 R 39.7K

-0.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 Ft 630.8K

$1,570 R 25.9K

23.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,152 Ft 373.5K

$1,630 R 26.9K

-29.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

10.89

-31.13%

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

Last update for Szombathely: 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

Szombathely

$329 26.9%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 103% $340

Groceries & Markets

Szombathely

$253 20.7%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 11.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szombathely

$212 17.3%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 14.1% $30

Eating Out

Szombathely

$172 14.1%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 1% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Szombathely

$160 13%

Cape Town

$138 9% 13.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Szombathely

$60 4.9%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 16.6% $9.9

Getting Around

Szombathely

$39 3.2%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 83.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Szombathely 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 41% higher in Cape Town. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Szombathely versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szombathely

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

11:32 11:32 AM

1 h ahead of Szombathely

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,757

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Szombathely Cape Town 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Szombathely
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

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

Cape Town costs about 25% more than Szombathely, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,837 per month in Szombathely and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szombathely, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $529 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,225 in Szombathely and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Szombathely about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Szombathely. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Szombathely, where all-in costs run around $1,225, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Szombathely it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,225 in Szombathely to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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