Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and San Francisco, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in San Francisco, CA is 126.9% higher than in Cape Town (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in San Francisco, CA is 165.1% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Rent Prices in San Francisco, CA are 252.7% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Restaurant Prices in San Francisco, CA are 144.9% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Groceries Prices in San Francisco, CA are 176.1% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Local Purchasing Power in San Francisco, CA is 61.3% higher than in Cape Town | |
Restaurants | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant |
200.00 R (12.58 $) |
397.40 R (25.00 $) |
+98.7 % |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) |
800.00 R (50.33 $) |
2,304.93 R (145.00 $) |
+188.1 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) |
91.00 R (5.72 $) |
238.44 R (15.00 $) |
+162.0 % |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) |
50.00 R (3.15 $) |
127.17 R (8.00 $) |
+154.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
60.00 R (3.77 $) |
143.06 R (9.00 $) |
+138.4 % |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) |
38.52 R (2.42 $) |
90.28 R (5.68 $) |
+134.4 % |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) |
22.11 R (1.39 $) |
52.60 R (3.31 $) |
+137.9 % |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) |
17.00 R (1.07 $) |
45.81 R (2.88 $) |
+169.5 % |
Markets | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) |
21.48 R (1.35 $) |
25.18 R (1.58 $) |
+17.3 % |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) |
17.67 R (1.11 $) |
75.85 R (4.77 $) |
+329.3 % |
| White Rice (1 lb) |
16.27 R (1.02 $) |
46.62 R (2.93 $) |
+186.6 % |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) |
47.10 R (2.96 $) |
104.93 R (6.60 $) |
+122.8 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
67.78 R (4.26 $) |
161.21 R (10.14 $) |
+137.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
44.68 R (2.81 $) |
102.55 R (6.45 $) |
+129.5 % |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) |
61.48 R (3.87 $) |
171.78 R (10.81 $) |
+179.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
13.34 R (0.84 $) |
50.76 R (3.19 $) |
+280.5 % |
| Bananas (1 lb) |
13.13 R (0.83 $) |
21.93 R (1.38 $) |
+67.1 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
12.91 R (0.81 $) |
39.13 R (2.46 $) |
+203.1 % |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
14.04 R (0.88 $) |
56.24 R (3.54 $) |
+300.7 % |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
11.62 R (0.73 $) |
28.51 R (1.79 $) |
+145.4 % |
| Onions (1 lb) |
10.60 R (0.67 $) |
34.12 R (2.15 $) |
+221.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 Head) |
20.44 R (1.29 $) |
51.36 R (3.23 $) |
+151.3 % |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) |
18.87 R (1.19 $) |
47.47 R (2.99 $) |
+151.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
104.99 R (6.60 $) |
286.13 R (18.00 $) |
+172.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) |
23.71 R (1.49 $) |
48.61 R (3.06 $) |
+105.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
33.00 R (2.08 $) |
59.95 R (3.77 $) |
+81.7 % |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) |
55.00 R (3.46 $) |
222.54 R (14.00 $) |
+304.6 % |
Transportation | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) |
18.50 R (1.16 $) |
47.69 R (3.00 $) |
+157.8 % |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) |
1,000.00 R (62.91 $) |
1,382.96 R (87.00 $) |
+38.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) |
20.00 R (1.26 $) |
65.97 R (4.15 $) |
+229.8 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) |
26.55 R (1.67 $) |
51.93 R (3.27 $) |
+95.6 % |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) |
82.50 R (5.19 $) |
619.95 R (39.00 $) |
+651.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) |
21.54 R (1.36 $) |
20.27 R (1.28 $) |
-5.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) |
589,000.00 R (37,053.25 $) |
588,121.76 R (36,998.00 $) |
-0.1 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) |
484,531.82 R (30,481.29 $) |
415,645.00 R (26,147.70 $) |
-14.2 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) |
2,178.21 R (137.03 $) |
3,642.52 R (229.15 $) |
+67.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) |
567.50 R (35.70 $) |
1,060.40 R (66.71 $) |
+86.9 % |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) |
622.35 R (39.15 $) |
1,088.88 R (68.50 $) |
+75.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership |
785.88 R (49.44 $) |
1,837.13 R (115.57 $) |
+133.8 % |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) |
169.33 R (10.65 $) |
347.73 R (21.88 $) |
+105.3 % |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) |
137.50 R (8.65 $) |
286.13 R (18.00 $) |
+108.1 % |
Childcare | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child |
4,403.97 R (277.05 $) |
49,368.63 R (3,105.72 $) |
+1,021.0 % |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child |
85,138.18 R (5,355.94 $) |
667,633.76 R (42,000.00 $) |
+684.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) |
953.18 R (59.96 $) |
1,186.09 R (74.62 $) |
+24.4 % |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) |
597.83 R (37.61 $) |
772.54 R (48.60 $) |
+29.2 % |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
2,022.73 R (127.25 $) |
1,602.15 R (100.79 $) |
-20.8 % |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes |
1,575.00 R (99.08 $) |
2,030.91 R (127.76 $) |
+28.9 % |
Rent Per Month | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
16,297.22 R (1,025.24 $) |
53,268.03 R (3,351.02 $) |
+226.9 % |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
10,428.89 R (656.07 $) |
44,232.46 R (2,782.61 $) |
+324.1 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
27,894.12 R (1,754.78 $) |
91,127.67 R (5,732.73 $) |
+226.7 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
19,721.05 R (1,240.63 $) |
73,588.08 R (4,629.33 $) |
+273.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
3,220.29 R (202.58 $) |
15,703.18 R (987.87 $) |
+387.6 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
2,243.60 R (141.14 $) |
13,500.05 R (849.27 $) |
+501.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Cape Town Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
27,425.15 R (1,725.28 $) |
117,276.81 R (7,377.74 $) |
+327.6 % |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 11.27 | 6.48 | -42.5 % |
| Last update: | 1 February 2026 | 30 January 2026 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 112 | 126 | |
Moving to Cape Town? Explore:
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Cities near Cape Town: | Cost of Living in Durbanville | 18.43 miles |
| Cost of Living in Somerset West | 27.94 miles |
| Cost of Living in Paarl | 38.17 miles |
Cities near San Francisco, CA: | Cost of Living in Oakland, California | 10.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Piedmont, California | 12.31 miles |
| Cost of Living in Berkeley, California | 13.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in Alameda, California | 15.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Rafael, California | 18.32 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Mateo, California | 21.47 miles |
| Cost of Living in Belmont, California | 24.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Walnut Creek, California | 24.48 miles |
| Cost of Living in Redwood City, California | 26.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hayward, California | 26.70 miles |