Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,568 a month against $3,627 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,627

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,627 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,627
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $5,355 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,355
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $7,083 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,083
Cape Town $3,307

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 131% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tel Aviv-Yafo and Cape Town sit above the global median – Tel Aviv-Yafo by 171%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.58 ₪81.3

$11.78 R 195

125.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 ₪393

$46.55 R 772

176.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.71 ₪63.3

$5.96 R 98.9

247.48%

Cappuccino

$5.49 ₪16.79

$2.47 R 41.01

122.27%

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

$4.06 ₪12.41

$1.33 R 22.03

205.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₪9.90

$1.03 R 17.08

214.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.03 ₪33.72

$3.01 R 49.98

266.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 ₪34.60

$3.66 R 60.8

209.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 ₪7.93

$1.39 R 23.08

87.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.48 ₪13.70

$1.19 R 19.70

276.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 ₪11.70

$2.11 R 35.02

81.52%

Eggs

$5.32 ₪16.27

$3.01 R 49.84

76.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.03 ₪67.3

$8.96 R 149

145.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.17 ₪49.42

$6.65 R 110

143.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.43 ₪77.7

$9.29 R 154

173.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 ₪14.32

$1.83 R 30.28

155.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.96 ₪12.10

$1.90 R 31.47

108.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₪7.73

$1.75 R 28.98

44.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ₪10.18

$2.09 R 34.59

59.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₪5.84

$1.55 R 25.78

23.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ₪5.83

$1.49 R 24.65

28.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 ₪7.96

$1.30 R 21.53

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₪8.04

$1.16 R 19.29

126.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.56 ₪44.51

$3.71 R 61.5

292.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 ₪49.24

$6.06 R 101

165.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 ₪11.55

$1.39 R 22.97

171.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 ₪14.57

$2.20 R 36.51

116.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.84

$1.51 R 25.11

69.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪310

$61.0 R 1,011

66.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 ₪13.00

$0.63 R 10.38

574.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ₪3.39

$1.53 R 25.42

-27.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.53 ₪59.7

$4.81 R 79.8

306.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 ₪8.08

$1.58 R 26.22

67.09%

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

$56.3K ₪172.1K

$35.5K R 588.7K

58.62%

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

$57.5K ₪175.8K

$31.7K R 526.6K

81.15%

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

$451 ₪1,380

$116 R 1,930

287.86%

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

$11.34 ₪34.65

$28.37 R 471

-60.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 ₪111

$40.69 R 675

-10.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 ₪339

$48.85 R 810

126.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₪70.4

$11.13 R 185

107.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.19 ₪49.48

$8.83 R 146

83.35%

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

$1,727 ₪5,280

$261 R 4,336

560.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪95.3K

$6,702 R 111.2K

365.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 ₪378

$55.4 R 919

123.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.7 ₪265

$32.27 R 535

168.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 ₪536

$118 R 1,949

49.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 ₪611

$107 R 1,775

86.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 ₪6,934

$1,015 R 16.8K

123.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 ₪4,974

$715 R 11.9K

127.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,597 ₪11.0K

$1,801 R 29.9K

99.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 ₪8,402

$1,330 R 22.1K

106.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.3K ₪62.0K

$2,331 R 38.7K

770.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.2K ₪40.5K

$1,513 R 25.1K

775.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,179 ₪12.8K

$1,636 R 27.1K

155.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

10.97

-54.15%

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

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: 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

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 45%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 56% $912

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$517 14.3%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 57% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$499 13.8%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 62.8% $314

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$448 12.4%

Cape Town

$174 11% 61.2% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$264 7.3%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 46.7% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$143 4%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 53.6% $77

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$121 3.4%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 38% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,269 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $1,015 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 155% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 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 $129 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $517 vs $222 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

04:13 4:13 AM

1 h behind Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.327 USD

1 ILS = 0.292 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.43 ILS (1 ILS = 0.292 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 ILS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Cape Town 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
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

Tel Aviv-Yafo vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 131% 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 $5,441 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, 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 $3,627 in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 131%.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Tel Aviv-Yafo at $3,627. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tel Aviv-Yafo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $3,627 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. 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 Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tel Aviv-Yafo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.