Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilhelmshaven and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,833 in Wilhelmshaven, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Cape Town, South Africa
Wilhelmshaven
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,833
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,833 per month in Wilhelmshaven vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Wilhelmshaven $1,833
  • Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $2,761 per month in Wilhelmshaven vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Wilhelmshaven $2,761
  • Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $3,689 per month in Wilhelmshaven vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Wilhelmshaven $3,689
  • Cape Town $3,306

Wilhelmshaven costs about 20% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wilhelmshaven and Cape Town sit above the global median – Wilhelmshaven by 36%, Cape Town by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.19 €16.28
$12.01 R 199
51.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.9 €66.1
$42.92 R 709
72.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.45 €12.03
$6.15 R 102
118.70%
Cappuccino
$4.40 €3.94
$2.37 R 39.16
85.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 €3.81
$1.27 R 21.03
235.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 €2.88
$0.94 R 15.50
242.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.46 €4.89
$2.96 R 48.92
84.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.95 €4.43
$3.69 R 61.0
34.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 €0.97
$1.32 R 21.80
-18.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 €2.39
$1.21 R 19.93
120.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.87 €2.57
$2.20 R 36.37
30.45%
Eggs
$4.46 €3.99
$3.10 R 51.3
43.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.42 €11.12
$8.73 R 144
42.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.14 €10.86
$6.89 R 114
76.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.25 €16.33
$9.26 R 153
97.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.48 €2.22
$1.83 R 30.17
35.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.95 R 32.22
-5.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 €1.91
$1.66 R 27.40
28.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.06 €3.64
$2.14 R 35.30
89.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.58 R 26.09
17.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.47 R 24.37
7.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.35 R 22.25
33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.14 R 18.91
7.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.60 €8.59
$3.58 R 59.1
168.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$6.05 R 100
-7.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.39 R 23.02
-17.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.18 R 36.01
-30.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.40 R 23.09
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.6 €48.84
$60.8 R 1,004
-10.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.53 €4.95
$0.93 R 15.31
494.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.98 €2.67
$0.90 R 14.88
231.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.96 €38.44
$4.96 R 82.0
766.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 €1.77
$1.54 R 25.45
28.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.2K €28.8K
$35.4K R 584.6K
-8.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €34.1K
$33.4K R 551.6K
14.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$296 €265
$117 R 1,935
153.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.07 €9.91
$25.71 R 425
-56.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.16 €35.04
$39.41 R 651
-0.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.83 €24.91
$51.6 R 853
-46.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.35 R 188
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.92 €14.25
$8.89 R 147
79.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 €452
$308 R 5,085
64.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.4K €16.5K
$8,141 R 134.6K
126.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.9 €77.7
$57.4 R 948
51.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.22 €33.30
$31.75 R 525
17.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.9 €50.9
$116 R 1,917
-50.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €107
$101 R 1,665
18.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$790 €707
$1,047 R 17.3K
-24.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$589 €527
$669 R 11.1K
-12.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 €918
$1,861 R 30.8K
-44.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 €913
$1,407 R 23.3K
-27.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,893 €3,483
$2,410 R 39.8K
61.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,204 €1,973
$1,570 R 25.9K
40.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wilhelmshaven
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,180 €2,846
$1,630 R 26.9K
95.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.75
10.89
-65.56%

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

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: 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
Wilhelmshaven
$589
Cape Town
$669 13.7% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilhelmshaven
$347
Cape Town
$182 47.4% $164
Groceries & Markets
Wilhelmshaven
$322
Cape Town
$223 30.8% $99
Eating Out
Wilhelmshaven
$306
Cape Town
$174 43.1% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Wilhelmshaven
$135
Cape Town
$138 1.8% $2.5
Getting Around
Wilhelmshaven
$75 *
Cape Town
$72 4.3% $3.3
Sport & Entertainment
Wilhelmshaven
$60
Cape Town
$69 16.3% $9.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $790 in Wilhelmshaven 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 run about 95% higher in Wilhelmshaven. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Wilhelmshaven versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Wilhelmshaven
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
14:21 2:21 PM
15:21 3:21 PM
1 h ahead of Wilhelmshaven
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,728
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 = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wilhelmshaven Cape Town 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Wilhelmshaven
  • 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
Wilhelmshaven vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Wilhelmshaven or Cape Town?
Wilhelmshaven costs about 20% 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 Wilhelmshaven and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,750 per month in Wilhelmshaven 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, Wilhelmshaven or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wilhelmshaven, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $790 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Wilhelmshaven compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,833 in Wilhelmshaven and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 17% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Wilhelmshaven compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 10% less in Wilhelmshaven. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Wilhelmshaven or in Cape Town?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,833 in Wilhelmshaven 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: Wilhelmshaven 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 $1,833 in Wilhelmshaven. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Wilhelmshaven or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wilhelmshaven makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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