Cape Town vs Vancouver Cost of Living
Cape Town (South Africa) · Overall index 33.8 — Vancouver (Canada) · Overall index 67.8
Summary
- Overall, Vancouver is 101% more expensive than Cape Town.
- Rent in Vancouver is 198% more expensive than in Cape Town.
- Dining out in Vancouver is 97% more expensive than in Cape Town.
| Item | Cape Town | Vancouver | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +198% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $733 | $2,238 | +205% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $426 | $1,452 | +241% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,308 | $3,668 | +180% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $960 | $2,620 | +173% |
| Groceries | +81% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.61 | $1.13 | +85% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.81 | $3.03 | +67% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.25 | $4.07 | +81% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.21 | $3.5 | +58% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.98 | $12.4 | +78% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.3 | $11.4 | +115% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $8.1 | $15.3 | +89% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.39 | $4.33 | +81% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.01 | $1.87 | +85% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.3 | $3.85 | +67% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.52 | $4.99 | +98% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.45 | $2.7 | +86% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.42 | $2.44 | +72% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.13 | $2.27 | +101% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.02 | $1.83 | +79% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.97 | $12.8 | +61% |
| Transport | +96% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.05 | $2.09 | +99% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $47.5 | $103 | +117% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.67 | $2.83 | +69% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.68 | $1.43 | +110% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.39 | $0.7 | +79% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $9,475 | $20,323 | +114% |
| Dining out | +97% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.33 | $18.3 | +120% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $51.4 | $96.1 | +87% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.2 | $8.11 | +56% |
| Cappuccino | $1.99 | $4.64 | +133% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.05 | $1.84 | +75% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.81 | $6.06 | +116% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.03 | $6.37 | +110% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $1.63 | +85% |
| Telecom | +66% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $31 | $47.5 | +53% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $35.7 | $62.1 | +74% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.28 | +47% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.16 | $13.4 | +87% |
| Utilities & household | +82% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $88.4 | $156 | +76% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.11 | $0.19 | +73% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.03 | $4.27 | +110% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.73 | $1.21 | +66% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.4 | $18 | +73% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $40.5 | $74.4 | +84% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.84 | $13.6 | +99% |
| Men's haircut | $14.9 | $25.1 | +68% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $11.4 | $22.4 | +96% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $932 | $1,656 | +78% |
3,227 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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