Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamale and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $144 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$144

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $144 per month in Tamale vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tamale $144
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $217 per month in Tamale vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tamale $217
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $289 per month in Tamale vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tamale $289
Cape Town $3,307

Tamale is about 91% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tamale sits 89% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 GHS 39.33

$11.78 R 195

-71.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 772

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 GHS 120

$5.96 R 98.9

71.64%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 41.01

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

$0.88 GHS 10.32

$1.33 R 22.03

-33.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 GHS 4.82

$1.03 R 17.08

-60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 GHS 10.41

$3.01 R 49.98

-70.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 GHS 15.50

$3.66 R 60.8

-63.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 GHS 35.71

$1.39 R 23.08

118.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 GHS 20.13

$1.19 R 19.70

44.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 GHS 45.21

$2.11 R 35.02

82.46%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.84

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 149

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.28

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.47

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.98

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.59

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.78

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.5

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 GHS 14.69

$1.39 R 22.97

-10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 GHS 9.67

$1.51 R 25.11

-45.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,011

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.38

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.22

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

$35.5K R 588.7K

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

$31.7K R 526.6K

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

$116 R 1,930

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

$28.37 R 471

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 675

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 810

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 185

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,336

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,668 GHS 101.7K

$6,702 R 111.2K

29.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 919

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 535

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,949

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,775

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

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 Tamale: 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

Tamale

–

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Groceries & Markets

Tamale

–

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamale

–

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Eating Out

Tamale

–

Cape Town

$174 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Tamale

–

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Getting Around

Tamale

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Tamale

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Good to know

🇬🇭 Tamale

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

05:42 5:42 AM

2 h ahead of Tamale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

950,124

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.53 USD

100 GHS = 7.6 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi (₵)

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.73 GHS (100 GHS = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 13.16 GHS (100 GHS = 7.6 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to GHS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tamale Cape Town 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tamale
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

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

Cape Town costs about 986% more than Tamale, 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 $217 per month in Tamale 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 $144 in Tamale and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 986%.

Groceries cost about 221% more in Cape Town, 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 Tamale, where all-in costs run around $144, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Tamale 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. Tamale costs $144 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Tamale. 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.