Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tournai and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,226 in Tournai, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Tournai, Belgium
Cape Town, South Africa
Tournai
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,226
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,226 per month in Tournai vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Tournai $2,226
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,303 per month in Tournai vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Tournai $3,303
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,379 per month in Tournai vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Tournai $4,379
  • Cape Town $3,306

Tournai costs about 46% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tournai and Cape Town sit above the global median – Tournai by 65%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.46 €21.78
$12.01 R 198
103.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$94.6 €84.2
$42.92 R 707
120.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.49 €12.01
$6.15 R 101
119.35%
Cappuccino
$4.40 €3.92
$2.37 R 39.04
85.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 €3.18
$1.27 R 20.96
181.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 €3.12
$0.94 R 15.46
273.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.50 €4.90
$2.96 R 48.77
85.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.22 €5.53
$3.69 R 60.8
68.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 €1.20
$1.32 R 21.73
1.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 €2.47
$1.21 R 19.87
128.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.20 R 36.26
2.27%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.58
$3.10 R 51.1
29.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.46 €14.65
$8.73 R 144
88.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.09 €10.77
$6.89 R 114
75.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.12 €20.59
$9.26 R 153
149.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 €2.68
$1.83 R 30.08
65.03%
Banana (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$1.95 R 32.12
28.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$1.66 R 27.32
53.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.42 €3.04
$2.14 R 35.19
59.81%
Potato (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$1.58 R 26.01
67.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.47 R 24.29
22.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.35 R 22.18
15.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.14 R 18.85
-2.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.98 €11.56
$3.58 R 59.0
262.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.60 €7.66
$6.05 R 99.7
42.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.39 R 22.95
35.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.78
$2.18 R 35.90
-8.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.89 €2.57
$1.40 R 23.02
106.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.8 €46.08
$60.8 R 1,001
-14.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 €5.08
$0.93 R 15.26
513.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.73 €2.43
$0.90 R 14.83
203.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.88 €39.07
$4.96 R 81.7
784.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.54 R 25.37
35.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K €32.1K
$35.4K R 582.8K
1.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.4K €32.4K
$33.4K R 549.9K
9.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$117 R 1,929
79.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.97 €19.56
$25.71 R 424
-14.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.21 €42.04
$39.41 R 649
19.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.34 €32.36
$51.6 R 850
-29.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.90 €18.61
$11.35 R 187
84.14%
Cinema Ticket
$15.12 €13.46
$8.89 R 146
70.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 €710
$308 R 5,069
159.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.8K €30.1K
$8,141 R 134.2K
314.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$118 €105
$57.4 R 946
105.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.7 €46.90
$31.75 R 523
65.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 €95.3
$116 R 1,911
-7.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$178 €158
$101 R 1,660
76.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$851 €757
$1,047 R 17.2K
-18.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$871 €776
$669 R 11.0K
30.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,270 €1,131
$1,861 R 30.7K
-31.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 €1,102
$1,407 R 23.2K
-12.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,379 €3,899
$2,410 R 39.7K
81.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,052 €2,717
$1,570 R 25.9K
94.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tournai
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,630 R 26.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.53
10.89
-67.58%

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

Last update for Tournai: 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
Tournai
$871
Cape Town
$669 23.2% $202
Groceries & Markets
Tournai
$365
Cape Town
$223 38.8% $141
Eating Out
Tournai
$357
Cape Town
$174 51.3% $183
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tournai
$279
Cape Town
$182 34.7% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Tournai
$205
Cape Town
$138 32.8% $67
Getting Around
Tournai
$83
Cape Town
$72 13.2% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Tournai
$67
Cape Town
$69 4.2% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $851 in Tournai 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Tournai versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Tournai
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
04:34 4:34 AM
05:34 5:34 AM
1 h ahead of Tournai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,842
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tournai Cape Town 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tournai
  • 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
Tournai vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tournai or Cape Town?
Tournai costs about 46% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 Tournai and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,340 per month in Tournai 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, Tournai or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tournai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $851 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Tournai compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,226 in Tournai and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 31% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Tournai compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 15% less in Tournai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Tournai or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,226 in Tournai and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Tournai or Cape Town?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,226 in Tournai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Tournai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?