Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taif and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Taif: $1,239 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Taif
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Taif Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,239

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,239 per month in Taif vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Taif $1,239
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,827 per month in Taif vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Taif $1,827
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,416 per month in Taif vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Taif $2,416
Cape Town $3,263

Taif is about 22% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Taif sits 8% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.28 SAR 19.82

$12.14 R 200

-56.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.38 SAR 140

$45.34 R 747

-17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 SAR 27.41

$5.88 R 96.9

24.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Cappuccino

$2.23 SAR 8.37

$2.50 R 41.18

-10.80%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$1.27 R 20.94

-44.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 SAR 0.64

$0.98 R 16.14

-82.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.30 R 21.40

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.25 R 20.68

-79.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.80

$2.23 R 36.76

4.93%

Eggs

$2.74 SAR 10.26

$3.11 R 51.2

-11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 SAR 22.40

$9.06 R 149

-34.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 SAR 26.68

$6.92 R 114

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 SAR 35.50

$9.30 R 153

1.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$1.84 R 30.25

29.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.96 R 32.29

-12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

$1.67 R 27.45

10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$2.17 R 35.70

-15.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$1.57 R 25.81

-16.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$1.48 R 24.45

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 SAR 3.54

$1.30 R 21.41

-27.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 SAR 3.07

$1.13 R 18.60

-27.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.20 SAR 11.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SAR 5.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 SAR 27.63

$3.60 R 59.3

104.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$1.50 R 24.65

-28.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.19 SAR 136

$60.8 R 1,001

-40.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

$0.59 R 9.71

120.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 SAR 7.68

$1.50 R 24.65

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.42 SAR 35.34

$5.11 R 84.2

84.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.55 R 25.50

-61.29%

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

$44.6K SAR 167.3K

$36.2K R 596.5K

23.14%

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

$20.8K SAR 78.1K

$31.2K R 514.8K

-33.39%

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

$138 SAR 519

$114 R 1,883

20.88%

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

$28.04 SAR 105

$28.91 R 476

-3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 SAR 253

$39.73 R 654

69.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$145 SAR 543

$49.01 R 808

195.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 SAR 49.64

$10.99 R 181

20.38%

Cinema Ticket

$19.68 SAR 73.9

$9.15 R 151

115.08%

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

$185 SAR 693

$259 R 4,264

-28.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,342 SAR 12.5K

$6,794 R 111.9K

-50.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.10 SAR 158

$56.2 R 926

-25.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 SAR 208

$32.41 R 534

70.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 SAR 358

$121 R 1,987

-20.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 SAR 324

$108 R 1,781

-20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 SAR 2,187

$1,021 R 16.8K

-42.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 SAR 1,380

$717 R 11.8K

-48.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SAR 3,012

$1,824 R 30.1K

-56.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 SAR 2,124

$1,327 R 21.9K

-57.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 SAR 8,986

$2,391 R 39.4K

0.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,368 SAR 5,132

$1,542 R 25.4K

-11.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,567 SAR 5,880

$1,639 R 27.0K

-4.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.97

-49.50%

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

Last update for Taif: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taif

$368 29.7%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 94.9% $349

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taif

$234 18.9%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 21.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Taif

$184 14.9%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 63.4% $117

Groceries & Markets

Taif

$181 14.6%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 24% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Taif

$126 10.2%

Cape Town

$143 9% 13.6% $17

Eating Out

Taif

$94 7.6%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 86.5% $82

Getting Around

Taif

$52 4.2%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 43.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $583 in Taif versus $1,021 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 5% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Taif versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $225 – making Taif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Taif

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

1 h behind Taif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,970

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

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Between locations

Taif Cape Town 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Taif
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

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

Cape Town costs about 28% more than Taif, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,859 per month in Taif and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taif, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,239 in Taif and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 28%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Taif. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taif, where all-in costs run around $1,239, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Taif it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Taif costs $1,239 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. 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 Taif. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.