Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Goiana

For one person, living is cheaper in Goiana: $796 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town, South Africa
Goiana, Brazil
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Goiana
🇧🇷 Brazil
$796
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Goiana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in Goiana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $796 in Goiana, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Goiana $796

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $1,282 in Goiana, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Goiana $1,282

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $1,768 in Goiana, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Goiana $1,768

Cape Town costs about 92% more than Goiana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Goiana is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 199
$5.09 R$28.02
135.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 709
$35.02 R$193
22.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 102
$9.06 R$49.88
-32.12%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.16
$2.31 R$12.71
2.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 21.03
$0.97 R$5.32
30.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.50
$0.55 R$3.01
70.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.92
$1.50 R$8.23
97.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 61.0
$3.01 R$16.56
22.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.80
$1.29 R$7.10
2.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.93
$1.51 R$8.30
-19.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.37
$1.46 R$8.06
50.68%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.3
$1.80 R$9.90
72.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$6.71 R$36.96
30.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$4.14 R$22.76
66.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$6.63 R$36.47
39.67%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.17
$1.31 R$7.23
39.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.22
$1.29 R$7.12
51.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.40
$0.74 R$4.10
124.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.30
$1.13 R$6.22
89.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.09
$1.36 R$7.51
16.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.37
$1.00 R$5.49
47.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.25
$0.44 R$2.41
206.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.91
$0.83 R$4.54
37.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.1
$1.61 R$8.88
122.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 100
$7.28 R$40.06
-16.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 23.02
$1.09 R$5.98
27.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 36.01
$1.41 R$7.73
54.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.09
$0.93 R$5.11
50.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,004
$41.05 R$226
47.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.31
$0.98 R$5.38
-5.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.88
$0.64 R$3.53
40.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 82.0
$4.86 R$26.73
2.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.45
$0.94 R$5.16
63.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 584.6K
$21.7K R$119.6K
62.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 551.6K
$30.8K R$169.8K
8.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,935
$74.4 R$409
57.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 425
$12.37 R$68.1
107.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 651
$15.97 R$87.9
146.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 853
$21.15 R$116
144.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 188
$23.22 R$128
-51.12%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 147
$8.20 R$45.11
8.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,085
$220 R$1,212
39.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.6K
$11.0K R$60.4K
-25.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 948
$42.29 R$233
35.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 525
$45.91 R$253
-30.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,917
$57.5 R$316
101.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,665
$76.1 R$419
32.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.3K
$338 R$1,860
209.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.1K
$227 R$1,248
195.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.8K
$722 R$3,972
157.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.3K
$456 R$2,508
208.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.8K
$1,440 R$7,927
67.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$1,143 R$6,291
37.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Goiana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
$519 R$2,855
214.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
11.75
-7.32%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Goiana: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Goiana
$227 66.1% $442
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Goiana
$165 26% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Goiana
$103 43.6% $79
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Goiana
$115 33.8% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Goiana
$100 27.5% $38
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Goiana
$49 31.8% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Goiana
$38 45.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $338 in Goiana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cape Town are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $35 in Goiana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $165 – making Goiana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇧🇷 Goiana
🕒 Local time
21:56 9:56 PM
16:56 4:56 PM
5 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
81,055
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Goiana 6,190 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Goiana

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Cape Town vs Goiana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Goiana?
Cape Town costs about 92% more than Goiana, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Goiana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $1,194 in Goiana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Goiana?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Goiana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $338 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Goiana?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $796 in Goiana. That makes Goiana about 48% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Goiana?
Public transport costs about 32% less in Goiana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Cape Town or in Goiana?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Goiana, where all-in costs run around $796, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Goiana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Goiana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Cape Town or to Goiana?
If budget matters most, go with Goiana. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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