Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zenica and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Zenica: $843 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Zenica
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Zenica Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Zenica

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$843

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $843 per month in Zenica vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Zenica $843
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $1,237 per month in Zenica vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Zenica $1,237
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $1,631 per month in Zenica vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Zenica $1,631
Cape Town $3,306

Zenica is about 45% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zenica sits 38% below the global median, while Cape Town is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 BAM 12.29

$12.01 R 199

-41.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.37 BAM 32.14

$42.92 R 709

-57.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 BAM 6.93

$6.15 R 102

-35.61%

Cappuccino

$1.54 BAM 2.70

$2.37 R 39.16

-35.02%

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

$1.67 BAM 2.93

$1.27 R 21.03

31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 BAM 2.18

$0.94 R 15.50

32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 BAM 3.42

$2.96 R 48.92

-33.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 BAM 3.46

$3.69 R 61.0

-46.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 BAM 2.24

$1.32 R 21.80

-3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 BAM 1.51

$1.21 R 19.93

-28.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 BAM 2.96

$2.20 R 36.37

-23.18%

Eggs

$2.72 BAM 4.75

$3.10 R 51.3

-12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 BAM 13.30

$8.73 R 144

-12.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 BAM 12.17

$6.89 R 114

1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 BAM 21.89

$9.26 R 153

35.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 BAM 2.27

$1.83 R 30.17

-28.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 BAM 2.79

$1.95 R 32.22

-17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.71

$1.66 R 27.40

-6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 BAM 3.26

$2.14 R 35.30

-13.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 BAM 1.68

$1.58 R 26.09

-39.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 BAM 2.14

$1.47 R 24.37

-17.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 BAM 1.03

$1.35 R 22.25

-56.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 BAM 1.21

$1.14 R 18.91

-39.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 BAM 5.89

$3.58 R 59.1

-5.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 BAM 9.90

$6.05 R 100

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 BAM 1.45

$1.39 R 23.02

-40.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 BAM 1.71

$2.18 R 36.01

-55.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 BAM 1.47

$1.40 R 23.09

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.74 BAM 55.5

$60.8 R 1,004

-47.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 BAM 2.69

$0.93 R 15.31

65.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 BAM 1.49

$0.90 R 14.88

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 BAM 14.94

$4.96 R 82.0

72.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 BAM 2.61

$1.54 R 25.45

-3.25%

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

$29.9K BAM 52.3K

$35.4K R 584.6K

-15.46%

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

$20.6K BAM 36.1K

$33.4K R 551.6K

-38.18%

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

$159 BAM 279

$117 R 1,935

36.11%

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

$18.24 BAM 31.91

$25.71 R 425

-29.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 BAM 41.99

$39.41 R 651

-39.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.68 BAM 41.42

$51.6 R 853

-54.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.72 BAM 22.26

$11.35 R 188

12.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 BAM 7.86

$8.89 R 147

-49.49%

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

$135 BAM 237

$308 R 5,085

-56.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K BAM 32.6K

$8,141 R 134.6K

128.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.82 BAM 85.4

$57.4 R 948

-14.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.59 BAM 53.5

$31.75 R 525

-3.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 BAM 160

$116 R 1,917

-21.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 BAM 151

$101 R 1,665

-14.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 BAM 327

$1,047 R 17.3K

-82.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 BAM 247

$669 R 11.1K

-78.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 BAM 462

$1,861 R 30.8K

-85.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 BAM 356

$1,407 R 23.3K

-85.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,606 BAM 2,809

$2,410 R 39.8K

-33.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,296 BAM 2,267

$1,570 R 25.9K

-17.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 BAM 1,120

$1,630 R 26.9K

-60.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

-72.45%

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

Last update for Zenica: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zenica

$202 23.9%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 9.6% $19

Groceries & Markets

Zenica

$199 23.6%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 12.1% $24

Accommodation & Living

Zenica

$141 16.7%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 374% $528

Clothing & Footwear

Zenica

$116 13.7%

Cape Town

$138 9% 19% $22

Eating Out

Zenica

$112 13.3%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 55.4% $62

Getting Around

Zenica

$41 4.9%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 75.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Zenica

$33 3.9%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 113% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $187 in Zenica 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 Cape Town are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Zenica versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $223 – making Zenica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Zenica

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

17:19 5:19 PM

1 h ahead of Zenica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,533

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.572 USD

1 BAM = 0.509 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.509 EUR).

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).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zenica Cape Town 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zenica
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

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

Cape Town costs about 81% more than Zenica, 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 $1,265 per month in Zenica 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 Zenica, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $187 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $843 in Zenica and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Zenica about 45% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Zenica. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $843 in Zenica and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zenica – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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