Am I missing anything in regards to costs of living in Cape Town?

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Posted by

on 4 Jun 2014

I am considering going to University of Cape Town but want to get an idea as to costs. Based upon the University's website, they have the following listed as expenses: Expenses Rand per month Rent R4 000 Living costs R1 500 Food R2 000 Transport R1 000 Pocket money R1 500 Are these reasonable for now or is it out of date? Are there any things that are missing? I will need to live off campus because my wife will be coming with me. We want to live in a safe area that is near the University. I have been told that many real estate companies will not rent to students. Is this true, even for graduate students? If it is, can you suggest where I might be able to find someone that will accept students? I have a Cape Town Safety Map so I know what areas to avoid if that is up to date.

Anonymous (not verified) on 5 Jun 2014 - 07:05

Hi Steven

Having gone to UCT myself, the total of R10,000 you posted will enable you to live, albeit modestly. It may be possible to get rent for R4000, but it is more likely to be around R6,000. If your wife isn't going to be working, R10,000 might be a bit of a stretch.

A lot of the flats and housing in the immediate area are taken up by students, and a few of my friends rented through an estate agent. If you were going to have trouble, I think the fact that you're a post-graduate student will help.

The three most popular areas for students are Rondebosch, Claremont, Mowbray and Observatory (these are in the Southern Suburbs). Some students also live in the City Bowl in areas like Oranjezicht, Vredehoek and Tamboerskloof, and get a bus from the art school to main campus. Either way, if you don't have your own transport, I'd try and suggest getting a place close to one of the Jammie bus stops (the university's student transport service).

You should be safe, there were only a few incidents in my four years there and if you avoid walking in isolated areas after dark you'll be fine (and I did that plenty too).

I hope everything works out for you, and that you enjoy your time there. Here are a few of our pages that might be of interest to you:

Good luck,

Xavier

Anonymous (not verified) on 9 Jun 2014 - 18:37

Thank you very much! I appreciate it. It looks better and better for us to go there. I think we will do fine at 8k Rand a month. We have a bit of US dollars each month that we can kick in for rent if we desired but I was going off what the cost of attendance went with.

Anonymous (not verified) on 5 Jun 2014 - 14:00

My wife will be going to school with me. She will be in the Bachelor of Anthropology while I am going for my Masters. We could probably pull off R12500 - R145000 a month depending on exchange rates from US and ZA That would enable R6000 to R8000 a month. What kind of accommodation do you THINK I might be able to find? What areas of CP would you recommend looking in with that budget? Finally, would it help to learn Afrikaans before we go there? From what I have seen, English is pretty much spoken all over there but would love to be able to take a quick jaunt over to one of the national parks so my wife can see lions. I am a bit leery for this because the wife will start having growling from her stomach and it will look like her baby is trying to escape. ;)

Anonymous (not verified) on 9 Jun 2014 - 06:52

Hi Steve

I'm pretty sure that R8000 would be able to get you a two room apartment in most of the areas mentioned above. Worst case scenario, you'd be able to get a single room apartment in a good area. My top three areas to look at would be Rondebosch, Claremont and Mowbray.

It isn't necessary to learn Afrikaans. There are very, very few people who don't speak English here. There are plenty of game parks within a few hours of Cape Town, while the city is surrounded by natural beauty.

Most game parks have trained rangers, in the event of any baby escapes. Seriously though, most tours take place in the comfort of your or the game park's vehicle and there isn't anything to worry about.

Hope you enjoy the move, let me know if there's anything you need anytime.

Best wishes,

Xavier

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