South Africa, Cape Town

Country Full Name: Republic of South Africa.

Location: South Africa is at the southern tip of the continent of Africa.

Country Climate: Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights.

Country Terrain: Vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain.

Major Languages: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu.

Major Religions: Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs.

Population: 48.7 million (2008 est.) 49.2 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of South Africa is a two tiered economy; one rivaling other developed countries and the other with only the most basic infrastructure. It is therefore a productive and industrialised economy that exhibits many characteristics associated with developing countries, including a division of labour between formal and informal sectors and an uneven distribution of wealth and income. The primary sector, based on manufacturing, services, mining, and agriculture, is well developed.

Currency: South African Rand (ZAR).

Inflation: 5.7% (2011 est.).

City: Cape Town is the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are situated.

City Economy: Cape Town is the economic centre of the Western Cape Province, South Africa's second main economic centre and even Africa's third main economic hub city. It serves as the regional manufacturing centre in the Western Cape. It also has the primary harbour and airport in the province.

The cost of living in Cape Town in South Africa is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Cape Town in South Africa is currently ranked 345 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are average compared to other places for items such as alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 395 places that are more expensive, and 554 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 869 places that are more expensive, and 80 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 845 places that are more expensive, and 104 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 472 places that are more expensive, and 477 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 315 places that are more expensive, and 634 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs . There are 811 places that are more expensive, and 138 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 714 places that are more expensive, and 235 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 139 places that are more expensive, and 810 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are average compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 436 places that are more expensive, and 513 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very low compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 830 places that are more expensive, and 119 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 172 places that are more expensive, and 777 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 893 places that are more expensive, and 56 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 710 places that are more expensive, and 239 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Cape Town in South Africa are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Cape Town in South Africa is ranked as some hardship with a hardship index of 20%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Cape Town in South Africa are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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