When you are considering coming to Cape Town you’re probably wondering how much the day to day living cost? In this blog I will outline for you a cost overview of what life in Cape Town actually costs. It’s important to note that internships or volunteer work are usually unpaid. This means you need to carefully plan your budget in advance and save up some money for the period you want to stay.

I’m a student from the Netherlands and in the beginning of September I moved to Cape Town for my internship in Marketing. Before I arrived many people told me that living in Cape Town is much cheaper and that eating out is almost cheaper than cooking yourself. But is that really the case? After spending three full weeks here with my days packed with activities, I can say I have a good sense of the cost of the daily life in Cape Town. If you want to get an even clearer idea of the prices, scroll down for some examples. 

In South Africa, the currency is the Rand, officially known as the South African Rand (ZAR). In most places, you can easily pay by card, but for purchases like street vendors or small markets, cash is often the only option. It’s advisable to always have some cash on hand.
Make sure to check the current exchange rate. The prices below are based on an exchange rate of 20 Rand a Euro.

Student Housing
(between 300-500 euros)

If you’re moving aboard to an unknown place it’s nice to find a house with other students and sharing your kitchen and bathroom, not only because it’s cheaper but also because it’s a great and simple way to get to know people and make friends. Because Cape Town is of the most expensive city of South Africa the rental prices are higher than in the rest of South Africa. The rental prices lay between €300 and €500 euros.

You can also rent a separate studio in a student flat. The prices for this accommodation will be between:

• a shared room of 2 / 4 people: €75
• a single apartment for : €698
• an extra big single apartment : €748
• If you choose to stay in a hostel you can expect to pay around 20 euros per night.

Transfer

Uber is a safe way to move yourself round the city, just always check the license plate of the car. The rides are much cheaper than in other countries. Most of the rides between 10 to 20 minutes only cost you around 3 to 5 euros.

Always check the license plate of the car. A few examples of prices and rides are:

• From Bo Kaap to my internship at CBD: 1,6 km, €1,70
• From Bo Kaap to the airport: 20 km, €9,-
• From Bo Kaap to Houtbay: 18 km, €8,70 euro

MyCiti bus
(day pass €4,-)

A cheaper transfer option is to go with the MyCiti bus, this bus line is a save and well known among other tourists and foreigners.

The prices for the MyCiti bus:

• Single ticket : €0,50
• Day pass:  +/- €4
• Weekly pass: €15
• Monthly pass: €50

Groceries

Supermarket prices in South Africa are quite similar to those in the Netherlands. The most affordable and, in my opinion, best grocery stores are Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, and Food Lovers. Woolworths is a bit more expensive, but it offers a more luxurious range of products with higher quality.

Shopping

If you love shopping you will notice that the shops you might go to at home such as Zara or H&M are a little more expensive. If you love to shop local or more on a budget go look at Mr Price or Cotton On, Edgars, Foschini, Woolworths and Ackermans. If you looking for a pharmacy, go to Clicks or Discem they have everything (make-up, toiletry and medicines). Buying pharmacy products at smaller local pharmacies is usually more expensive.

Eating Out
(lunch €5,-, dinner €12,-)

Eating out is in my opinion the biggest price difference. If you go out for lunch you pay around 5 euros and for eating a main course you pay around 7 to 10 euros at a good restaurant. For a full meal at a fast food chain you pay around 4 to 5 euros.

In countries like the Netherlands, tipping is usually reserved for exceptional service or food. However, in South Africa, it’s customary to leave a tip of 10-20% on top of your bill. Since wages tend to be lower, tips provide an important source of additional income for service staff.

Going out and having drinks

Also the prices for alcoholic drinks are more affordable then in the Netherlands. If you order a cocktail the prices are mostly between 4 to 6 euros even at special cocktail bars. The prices in the club or bars are also attractive, sometimes you pay a fee at the entrance of the club (around 3 to 5 euros). And do you like beer? For half a liter you pay most of the times only around 2 euros. For a Coke/Pespi you usally pay around €1,25.

Activities

The prices for activities differ a lot. There are a lot of free activities such as hiking on the Lion’s Head, if you want to know more check our Instagram or tiktok (gapafrica.travel) Want to visit the pinguins at Boulders Beach? Then you pay around €9,50 at the entrance. If you like tasting wines, beers or Gin, you’re lucky because most of the times you only pay around €2,50 – 7,50 depending on the farm.