Cape Town vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Cape Town Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1071
$2678
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2522
$6655
🏠 One person rent
$582
$1596
🏘️ Family rent
$1083
$2946
🍽️ Food expenses
$273
$700
🚐 Transport expenses
$124
$200
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1532
$4876
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
56
100
😀 Quality of life
58
95
🏙️ Population
3.78M
2.75M

The cost of living in Cape Town is 60% less expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 5016th and 529th ($1071 vs $2678) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 483rd in South Africa and the United States, respectively. Check South Africa vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.4 months in Cape Town compared to 1.8 months in Chicago. Cape Town ranked 1st best city to live in South Africa vs Chicago ranked 3rd in the United States, while ranked 5491st and 23rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Cape Town vs Chicago

Prices for goods and services in Cape Town and Chicago are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Cape Town Chicago
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$8.4
$21.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$32.1
$90.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$4.87
$12
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.58
$7
☕ Cappuccino
$2.03
$5.4
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.03
$2.95
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$677
$1841
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$435
$1327
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1304
$3729
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$863
$2474
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$59.9
$104
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$93.1
$159
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$38.9
$62.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.89%
6.68%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1804
$3391
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1180
$2689
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.09
$2.48
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$39
$75.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$8.47
$16.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.23
$1.06
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.08
$0.94
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.03
$3.68
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.48
$4.61
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.58
$4.13
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.33
$13.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.42
$14.2
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.24
$18.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$4.67
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.45
$1.84
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$4.36
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$4.43
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.33
$2.18
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.13
$2.71
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.62
$1.81
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.43
$2.85
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$5.48
$14.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.39
$3.04
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.02
$15
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.02
$11.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.17
$6.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.11
$3.63
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.49
$1.76
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$34.4
$63
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.22
$14.8
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$35.7
$127
💇 Haircut, simple
$8.05
$29.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$51
$59
👟 Brand Sneakers
$104
$94.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$204
$2114
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$4806
$24502

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Cape Town

Distance City Cost of living
54 km or 33 mi Paarl
$1147
99 km or 62 mi Worcester
$619
371 km or 231 mi George
$743
644 km or 400 mi Uitenhage
$840
662 km or 411 mi Port Elizabeth
$901
664 km or 413 mi Upington
$699
754 km or 468 mi Makhanda
$763
821 km or 510 mi Komani
$915
833 km or 518 mi Kimberley
$814
845 km or 525 mi Bhisho
$1332
882 km or 548 mi East London
$766
912 km or 567 mi Bloemfontein
$657
950 km or 590 mi Mafeteng
$567
999 km or 621 mi Maseru
$621
1002 km or 622 mi Mthatha
$852
1029 km or 639 mi Teyateyaneng
$500
1030 km or 640 mi Welkom
$748
1034 km or 643 mi Mariental
$827
1092 km or 679 mi Butha-Buthe
$535
1092 km or 679 mi Kroonstad
$768
1113 km or 692 mi Klerksdorp
$722
1135 km or 705 mi Mmabatho
$780
1155 km or 718 mi Potchefstroom
$695
1187 km or 737 mi Rehoboth
$792
1194 km or 742 mi Lobatse
$665
1198 km or 745 mi Kanye
$664
1208 km or 751 mi Vanderbijlpark
$773
1217 km or 756 mi Vereeniging
$672
1231 km or 765 mi Pietermaritzburg
$640
1244 km or 773 mi Soweto
$923
1250 km or 777 mi Rustenburg
$889
1260 km or 783 mi Gaborone
$691
1261 km or 783 mi Molepolole
$628
1261 km or 784 mi Johannesburg
$993
1267 km or 788 mi Randburg
$837
1269 km or 789 mi Windhoek
$862
1270 km or 789 mi Sandton
$953
1271 km or 790 mi Durban
$809
1277 km or 794 mi Gobabis
$813
1279 km or 795 mi Walvis Bay
$740

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371