Popular cities
Cape Town vs Singapore cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฟ๐ฆ Cape Town
๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore
At a glance
- Where Singapore is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (40%โ), Local meal (28%โ), SIM card (19%โ)
- Where Cape Town is clearly cheaper: Beer (74%โ), Cocktail & wine (73%โ), Studio rent (month) (71%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Singapore is easier to travel (1.0 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: safety โ Cape Town 4 vs Singapore 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cape Town | Singapore | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | R 150$8.57 | S$ 8$6.15 | Singapore โ28% |
| Street food1 item | R 70$4 | S$ 5$3.85 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | R 300$17.1 | S$ 45$34.6 | Cape Town โ50% |
| Coffeeone cup | R 38$2.17 | S$ 6.5$5 | Cape Town โ57% |
| Beerone bottle | R 45$2.57 | S$ 13$10 | Cape Town โ74% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | R 90$5.14 | S$ 25$19.2 | Cape Town โ73% |
| Bottled water | R 15$0.86 | S$ 1.6$1.23 | Cape Town โ30% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | R 18$1.03 | S$ 2.2$1.69 | Cape Town โ39% |
| Taxi5 km in town | R 60$3.43 | S$ 12$9.23 | Cape Town โ63% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | R 40$2.29 | S$ 9$6.92 | Cape Town โ67% |
| Transitone ride | R 18$1.03 | S$ 1.5$1.15 | Cape Town โ11% |
| Scooter rentalper day | R 450$25.7 | S$ 20$15.4 | Singapore โ40% |
| Hotel night3-star | R 1,900$109 | S$ 200$154 | Cape Town โ29% |
| Studio rent (month) | R 13,000$743 | S$ 3,300$2,538 | Cape Town โ71% |
| Laundry | R 44$2.51 | S$ 5$3.85 | Cape Town โ35% |
| SIM card1 week data | R 250$14.3 | S$ 15$11.5 | Singapore โ19% |
| Haircutcut | R 170$9.71 | S$ 20$15.4 | Cape Town โ37% |
| Massage1 hour | R 650$37.1 | S$ 60$46.2 | Cape Town โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | R 900$51.4 | S$ 70$53.8 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | R 400$22.9 | S$ 40$30.8 | Cape Town โ26% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cape Town or Singapore?
Cape Town is 49% cheaper than Singapore. Daily budget $168 vs $249; a month $2,941 vs $7,084.
Which is easier to travel, Cape Town or Singapore?
Singapore is easier: Singapore 1.0/5 vs Cape Town 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cape Town and Singapore?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cape Town is about $2,941 and Singapore about $7,084 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.