Cape Town vs New York Cost of Living
Cape Town (South Africa) · Overall index 33.8 — New York (United States) · Overall index 100.0
Summary
- Overall, New York is 196% more expensive than Cape Town.
- Rent in New York is 488% more expensive than in Cape Town.
- Dining out in New York is 181% more expensive than in Cape Town.
| Item | Cape Town | New York | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +488% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $733 | $4,328 | +490% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $426 | $2,796 | +556% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,308 | $7,980 | +510% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $960 | $4,915 | +412% |
| Groceries | +142% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.61 | $1.48 | +143% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.81 | $4.03 | +123% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.25 | $5.54 | +146% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.21 | $5.18 | +134% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.98 | $16.5 | +136% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.3 | $13.6 | +157% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $8.1 | $22.8 | +181% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.39 | $6.73 | +182% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.01 | $2.56 | +153% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.3 | $5.31 | +131% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.52 | $6.04 | +140% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.45 | $3.01 | +108% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.42 | $3.09 | +118% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.13 | $2.85 | +152% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.02 | $2.81 | +175% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.97 | $17 | +113% |
| Transport | +174% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.05 | $2.75 | +162% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $47.5 | $145 | +205% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.67 | $4.13 | +147% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.68 | $2.06 | +203% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.39 | $0.93 | +138% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $9,475 | $29,178 | +208% |
| Dining out | +181% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.33 | $25.5 | +206% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $51.4 | $140 | +172% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.2 | $12.7 | +144% |
| Cappuccino | $1.99 | $5.58 | +180% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.05 | $3.23 | +208% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.81 | $8.19 | +191% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.03 | $8.34 | +175% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $2.48 | +182% |
| Telecom | +100% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $31 | $64.2 | +107% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $35.7 | $66.9 | +87% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.38 | +100% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.16 | $14.9 | +108% |
| Utilities & household | +132% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $88.4 | $173 | +96% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.11 | $0.25 | +127% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.03 | $4.81 | +137% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.73 | $1.75 | +140% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.4 | $23.6 | +127% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $40.5 | $94.7 | +134% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.84 | $16.6 | +143% |
| Men's haircut | $14.9 | $36.8 | +147% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $11.4 | $25.1 | +120% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $932 | $2,473 | +165% |
3,238 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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