Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,092 in Uppsala, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Uppsala
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Uppsala Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Uppsala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,092

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,092 per month in Uppsala vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Uppsala $2,092
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,282 per month in Uppsala vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Uppsala $3,282
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,472 per month in Uppsala vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Uppsala $4,472
Cape Town $3,306

Uppsala costs about 37% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Uppsala and Cape Town sit above the global median – Uppsala by 55%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 SEK 149

$12.01 R 197

26.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 SEK 785

$42.92 R 703

87.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 SEK 101

$6.15 R 101

68.29%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 48.99

$2.37 R 38.81

111.39%

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

$3.08 SEK 30.10

$1.27 R 20.84

142.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SEK 23.39

$0.94 R 15.37

154.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 SEK 78.7

$2.96 R 48.48

171.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.28 SEK 100

$3.69 R 60.5

178.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SEK 17.40

$1.32 R 21.61

34.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 29.38

$1.21 R 19.75

148.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 SEK 46.11

$2.20 R 36.05

114.55%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 48.40

$3.10 R 50.8

59.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 SEK 100

$8.73 R 143

17.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.01 SEK 147

$6.89 R 113

117.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 SEK 175

$9.26 R 152

93.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 SEK 47.44

$1.83 R 29.90

165.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 27.37

$1.95 R 31.94

43.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 SEK 36.10

$1.66 R 27.16

122.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 SEK 51.9

$2.14 R 34.99

148.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 SEK 19.30

$1.58 R 25.86

24.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.62

$1.47 R 24.15

15.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 SEK 26.73

$1.35 R 22.05

102.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 SEK 13.17

$1.14 R 18.75

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 SEK 79.5

$3.58 R 58.6

127.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 SEK 98.2

$6.05 R 99.2

66.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 SEK 24.84

$1.39 R 22.82

82.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.53

$2.18 R 35.69

10.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 SEK 39.63

$1.40 R 22.88

190.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,095

$60.8 R 995

84.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 SEK 54.2

$0.93 R 15.18

495.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 SEK 13.37

$0.90 R 14.75

52.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.5 SEK 620

$4.96 R 81.3

1179.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 SEK 18.04

$1.54 R 25.23

20.13%

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

$33.1K SEK 323.4K

$35.4K R 579.4K

-6.44%

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

$33.9K SEK 331.0K

$33.4K R 546.7K

1.50%

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

$115 SEK 1,122

$117 R 1,918

-1.92%

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

$16.08 SEK 157

$25.71 R 421

-37.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.83 SEK 477

$39.41 R 646

23.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.48 SEK 425

$51.6 R 846

-15.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.66 SEK 241

$11.35 R 186

117.27%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 SEK 179

$8.89 R 146

105.96%

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

$131 SEK 1,280

$308 R 5,040

-57.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 SEK 1,053

$57.4 R 940

87.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SEK 494

$31.75 R 520

59.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 SEK 901

$116 R 1,900

-20.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 SEK 2,010

$101 R 1,650

104.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 SEK 10.4K

$1,047 R 17.1K

1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 SEK 7,702

$669 R 11.0K

17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 SEK 15.3K

$1,861 R 30.5K

-16.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 SEK 13.9K

$1,407 R 23.1K

1.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,371 SEK 52.5K

$2,410 R 39.5K

122.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,035 SEK 29.7K

$1,570 R 25.7K

93.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,352 SEK 32.8K

$1,630 R 26.7K

105.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.86

10.89

-64.55%

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

Last update for Uppsala: 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

Uppsala

$788 37.7%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 15.1% $119

Groceries & Markets

Uppsala

$403 19.2%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 44.5% $179

Eating Out

Uppsala

$296 14.1%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 41.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Uppsala

$205 9.8%

Cape Town

$138 9% 33% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Uppsala

$180 8.6%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 1.4% $2.5

Getting Around

Uppsala

$141 6.7%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 49% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Uppsala

$80 3.8%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 13.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Uppsala 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 Uppsala are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Uppsala versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Uppsala

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

1 h ahead of Uppsala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,698

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.23 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.97 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 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 SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Uppsala Cape Town 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Uppsala
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

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

Uppsala costs about 37% 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 $3,139 per month in Uppsala and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,063 in Uppsala and $1,047 in Cape Town. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,092 in Uppsala and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 27% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 46% 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 $2,092 in Uppsala 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 $2,092 in Uppsala. 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, Uppsala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.