Stellenbosch at a glance
- Stellenbosch ranks 7th of 10 priced cities in South Africa on cost: $1,039 a month in essentials, 36% above East London, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,273 covers that 1.2×.
- 100.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at local municipality level.
- PM2.5 averages 12.2 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 South Africa cities we track, so every row says whether Stellenbosch is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,039 | $1,039 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $506 | $410 | $96 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $744 | $487 | 1.53× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $111 | $111 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $220 | $220 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $146 | $160 | $14 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $56 | $56 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,273 | $1,320 | $47 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $957 | $912 | $45 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,365 | $1,002 | 1.36× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Stellenbosch, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.56 | $10.56 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $41.18 | $41.18 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.28 | $5.40 | $0.12 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.14 | $2.15 | $0.01 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.64 | $2.64 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.17 | $3.16 | $0.01 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.16 | $1.16 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.84 | $0.84 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.18 | $1.18 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.07 | $1.07 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.90 | $1.90 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.44 | $2.44 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $7.67 | $8.34 | $0.67 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.60 | $5.47 | $0.13 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.59 | $1.73 | $0.14 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.61 | $1.61 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.80 | $1.77 | $0.03 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.33 | $1.48 | $0.15 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.28 | $1.39 | $0.11 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.01 | $1.01 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.30 | $1.38 | $0.08 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $56.39 | $56.39 | same |
| Taxi start | $0.56 | $0.58 | $0.02 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.38 | $0.90 | 1.53× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.34 | $1.36 | $0.02 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $108.96 | $119.04 | $10.08 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $37.18 | $37.49 | $0.31 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $29.10 | $31.82 | $2.72 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $41.52 | $38.63 | $2.89 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.66 | $7.43 | $0.23 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Stellenbosch has 100.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (local municipality level). That is the 6th-highest of 10 South Africa cities we track. South Africa's national figure is 99.4, so Stellenbosch runs 1 above the country as a whole.
Every South Africa region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Stellenbosch ranks against every city we track
Stellenbosch sits ahead of 65% of the 991 cities we track on salary against local costs. On local salary it is ahead of 64% of 999. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 16% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Stellenbosch sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Stellenbosch on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Stellenbosch beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Stellenbosch in the research deskOr unlock the South Africa deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: CJJ2501, CC0.
Data updated