Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $3,238 in Tromso, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Tromso
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Tromso Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Tromso

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,238

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,238 per month in Tromso vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tromso $3,238
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $4,860 per month in Tromso vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tromso $4,860
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $6,481 per month in Tromso vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Tromso $6,481
Cape Town $3,306

Tromso costs about 112% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tromso and Cape Town sit above the global median – Tromso by 140%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.47 NOK 320

$12.01 R 197

187.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,004

$42.92 R 703

152.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.42 NOK 152

$6.15 R 101

166.99%

Cappuccino

$6.74 NOK 62.6

$2.37 R 38.81

184.39%

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

$4.91 NOK 45.54

$1.27 R 20.84

286.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 35.79

$0.94 R 15.37

310.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.05 NOK 121

$2.96 R 48.48

340.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.79 NOK 128

$3.69 R 60.5

273.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.62 NOK 24.36

$1.32 R 21.61

98.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 31.69

$1.21 R 19.75

181.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 NOK 36.50

$2.20 R 36.05

78.64%

Eggs

$5.29 NOK 49.12

$3.10 R 50.8

70.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.31 NOK 114

$8.73 R 143

41.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 NOK 139

$6.89 R 113

116.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.93 NOK 389

$9.26 R 152

352.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 NOK 38.20

$1.83 R 29.90

125.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.28

$1.95 R 31.94

61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.21 NOK 48.35

$1.66 R 27.16

213.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 NOK 59.4

$2.14 R 34.99

199.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.32

$1.58 R 25.86

127.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 NOK 46.05

$1.47 R 24.15

237.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 NOK 27.47

$1.35 R 22.05

119.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.71

$1.14 R 18.75

85.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.29 NOK 151

$3.58 R 58.6

355.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 164

$6.05 R 99.2

192.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 35.87

$1.39 R 22.82

177.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 NOK 45.16

$2.18 R 35.69

123.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 47.96

$1.40 R 22.88

269.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 NOK 619

$60.8 R 995

9.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 NOK 60.9

$0.93 R 15.18

605.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 NOK 12.16

$0.90 R 14.75

45.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.1 NOK 511

$4.96 R 81.3

1010.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 NOK 22.86

$1.54 R 25.23

59.74%

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

$48.6K NOK 451.3K

$35.4K R 579.4K

37.50%

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

$45.4K NOK 421.4K

$33.4K R 546.7K

36.07%

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

$262 NOK 2,428

$117 R 1,918

123.47%

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

$51.8 NOK 480

$25.71 R 421

101.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.3 NOK 782

$39.41 R 646

113.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.13 NOK 456

$51.6 R 846

-4.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 NOK 441

$11.35 R 186

318.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.69 NOK 164

$8.89 R 146

98.99%

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

$320 NOK 2,967

$308 R 5,040

3.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,102 NOK 28.8K

$8,141 R 133.4K

-61.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 NOK 622

$57.4 R 940

16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.64 NOK 331

$31.75 R 520

12.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 NOK 1,412

$116 R 1,900

31.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 NOK 1,529

$101 R 1,650

63.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 NOK 16.3K

$1,047 R 17.1K

68.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 NOK 12.8K

$669 R 11.0K

106.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,216 NOK 29.8K

$1,861 R 30.5K

72.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 NOK 21.1K

$1,407 R 23.1K

61.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,196 NOK 76.1K

$2,410 R 39.5K

240.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,546 NOK 51.5K

$1,570 R 25.7K

253.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,396 NOK 40.8K

$1,630 R 26.7K

169.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

10.89

-53.99%

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

Last update for Tromso: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tromso

$1.4K 42.7%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 51.6% $715

Groceries & Markets

Tromso

$549 17%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 59.4% $326

Eating Out

Tromso

$534 16.5%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 67.4% $360

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tromso

$398 12.3%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 54.2% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Tromso

$189 5.8%

Cape Town

$138 9% 27.1% $51

Getting Around

Tromso

$100 3.1%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 28.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Tromso

$85 2.6%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 17.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Tromso 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 in Tromso are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Tromso versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Tromso

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

02:00 2:00 AM

1 h ahead of Tromso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,908

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tromso Cape Town 11,520 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Tromso
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

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

Tromso costs about 112% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,858 per month in Tromso 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 Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,759 in Tromso.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,238 in Tromso and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 53% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,238 in Tromso and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,527 versus $3,238 in Tromso. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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