Vancouver vs Cape Town Cost of Living
Vancouver (Canada) · Overall index 67.8 — Cape Town (South Africa) · Overall index 33.8
Summary
- Overall, Cape Town is 50% cheaper than Vancouver.
- Rent in Cape Town is 66% cheaper than in Vancouver.
- Dining out in Cape Town is 49% cheaper than in Vancouver.
| Item | Vancouver | Cape Town | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -66% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,238 | $733 | -67% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,452 | $426 | -71% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,668 | $1,308 | -64% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,620 | $960 | -63% |
| Groceries | -45% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.13 | $0.61 | -46% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.03 | $1.81 | -40% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.07 | $2.25 | -45% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.5 | $2.21 | -37% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.4 | $6.98 | -44% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $11.4 | $5.3 | -54% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.3 | $8.1 | -47% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.33 | $2.39 | -45% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.87 | $1.01 | -46% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.85 | $2.3 | -40% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.99 | $2.52 | -49% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.7 | $1.45 | -46% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.44 | $1.42 | -42% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.27 | $1.13 | -50% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.83 | $1.02 | -44% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $12.8 | $7.97 | -38% |
| Transport | -49% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.09 | $1.05 | -50% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $103 | $47.5 | -54% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.83 | $1.67 | -41% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.43 | $0.68 | -52% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.7 | $0.39 | -44% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $20,323 | $9,475 | -53% |
| Dining out | -49% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.3 | $8.33 | -54% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $96.1 | $51.4 | -47% |
| Fast food combo meal | $8.11 | $5.2 | -36% |
| Cappuccino | $4.64 | $1.99 | -57% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.84 | $1.05 | -43% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $6.06 | $2.81 | -54% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.37 | $3.03 | -52% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.63 | $0.88 | -46% |
| Telecom | -40% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $47.5 | $31 | -35% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $62.1 | $35.7 | -43% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.28 | $0.19 | -32% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.4 | $7.16 | -47% |
| Utilities & household | -45% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $156 | $88.4 | -43% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.11 | -42% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.27 | $2.03 | -52% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.21 | $0.73 | -40% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18 | $10.4 | -42% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $74.4 | $40.5 | -46% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.6 | $6.84 | -50% |
| Men's haircut | $25.1 | $14.9 | -41% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $22.4 | $11.4 | -49% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,656 | $932 | -44% |
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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