What is the average rent in Cape Town?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Cape Town city centre costs approximately ZAR 16,625 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to ZAR 11,546 (saving 31%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around ZAR 29,923.

Is Cape Town affordable to live in?

Cape Town is mid-priced by global standards. Groceries are average, restaurants are expensive, and local purchasing power is average.

🇿🇦 South Africa · 2026

Cost of Living in Cape Town

Q: How expensive is Cape Town compared to the rest of South Africa?

Cape Town ranks #357 out of 577 cities globally. It is 17.3% more expensive than the South Africa average, based on 4 cities. The rent index is 22.6 and local purchasing power is 97.2.

17.3% above the South Africa average

Ranked #357 of 577 cities · More expensive than 38.1% of cities worldwide

+17.3%

Cost of Living

+52.7%

Rent

+6.9%

Groceries

-4.7%

Purchasing Power

Compared to South Africa average · See South Africa ranking →

Rent Prices in Cape Town

Apartment	City Centre	Outside Centre	You Save
1-Bedroom	ZAR 16,625/mo ≈ $1,005	ZAR 11,546/mo ≈ $698	31%
3-Bedroom	ZAR 29,923/mo ≈ $1,809	ZAR 21,940/mo ≈ $1,326	27%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

★★ Medium Confidence

Cape Town has a cost of living index of 32.5 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 3 data sources.

32.5

Index

Sources

5.7

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

33.2

Expatistan

35.0

LivingCost

29.3

ShouldIMove price index

No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

View all 577 cities

Cost Indices

Cost of Living

+17.3% Expensive

Rent

+52.7% Very expensive

Groceries

+6.9% Average

Restaurants

+9.7% Expensive

Purchasing Power

-4.7% Average

Living in Cape Town: What to Expect

Cape Town is mid-priced by global standards (ranked #357 of 577 cities). It is 17.3% more expensive than the South Africa average, based on 4 cities.

Groceries are average and dining out is expensive. The best value is groceries and the priciest is rent.

How Does Cape Town Compare?

🇿🇦 Johannesburg South Africa

29.2 -10.2%

Compare →

🇿🇦 Pretoria South Africa

25.6 -21.2%

Compare →

🇿🇦 Durban South Africa

23.3 -28.3%

Compare →

🇸🇻 San Salvador El Salvador

32.5 0.0%

Compare →

🇷🇸 Belgrade Serbia

32.6 +0.3%

Compare →

🇨🇿 Olomouc Czech Republic

32.4 -0.3%

Compare →

Planning a Move to Cape Town?

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Should I Move to Cape Town? Cheapest Cities in the World

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