Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Goiania

For one person, living is cheaper in Goiania: $940 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town, South Africa
Goiania, Brazil
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,527
/mo nomad
Goiania
🇧🇷 Brazil
$940
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Goiania actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $940 in Goiania, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,527
  • Goiania $940

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $1,436 in Goiania, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,417
  • Goiania $1,436

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $1,931 in Goiania, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,306
  • Goiania $1,931

Cape Town costs about 62% more than Goiania, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 13% above the global median, while Goiania is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.01 R 198
$5.36 R$29.39
124.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.92 R 707
$22.45 R$123
91.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 R 101
$6.47 R$35.52
-4.95%
Cappuccino
$2.37 R 39.04
$1.57 R$8.62
50.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 20.96
$0.92 R$5.07
38.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.46
$0.72 R$3.93
30.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.96 R 48.77
$2.46 R$13.49
20.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 R 60.8
$2.72 R$14.93
35.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 R 21.73
$0.88 R$4.82
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 R 19.87
$1.74 R$9.54
-30.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 R 36.26
$1.32 R$7.22
66.67%
Eggs
$3.10 R 51.1
$1.79 R$9.83
73.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 R 144
$7.39 R$40.54
18.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.89 R 114
$3.59 R$19.70
91.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 R 153
$6.30 R$34.56
46.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.08
$1.44 R$7.92
27.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 R 32.12
$1.61 R$8.83
21.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 R 27.32
$0.76 R$4.15
118.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 R 35.19
$1.89 R$10.35
13.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 R 26.01
$1.05 R$5.75
50.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 R 24.29
$1.39 R$7.63
5.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 R 22.18
$0.70 R$3.82
92.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 R 18.85
$0.77 R$4.24
48.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.58 R 59.0
$2.60 R$14.25
37.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 R 99.7
$9.71 R$53.3
-37.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.95
$1.88 R$10.29
-26.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R 35.90
$1.60 R$8.78
36.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R 23.02
$0.77 R$4.20
81.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 R 1,001
$35.66 R$196
70.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.93 R 15.26
$1.06 R$5.84
-12.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R 14.83
$0.65 R$3.59
38.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 R 81.7
$5.27 R$28.92
-5.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 R 25.37
$1.21 R$6.66
27.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 582.8K
$21.9K R$120.3K
61.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K R 549.9K
$32.2K R$176.9K
3.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 R 1,929
$67.3 R$369
73.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 R 424
$12.91 R$70.9
99.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.41 R 649
$19.74 R$108
99.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 R 850
$22.84 R$125
125.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.35 R 187
$19.26 R$106
-41.07%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 R 146
$9.18 R$50.3
-3.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$308 R 5,069
$384 R$2,108
-19.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,141 R 134.2K
$7,874 R$43.2K
3.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 R 946
$52.3 R$287
9.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.75 R 523
$49.77 R$273
-36.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 R 1,911
$76.1 R$418
52.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 R 1,660
$91.0 R$499
10.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 R 17.2K
$330 R$1,811
217.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 R 11.0K
$353 R$1,935
89.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,861 R 30.7K
$782 R$4,291
137.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 R 23.2K
$644 R$3,536
118.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,410 R 39.7K
$1,633 R$8,959
47.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,570 R 25.9K
$1,344 R$7,372
16.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Goiania
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,630 R 26.9K
$617 R$3,387
164.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.89
10.95
-0.55%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Goiania: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$669
Goiania
$353 47.3% $317
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$223
Goiania
$177 20.7% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$182
Goiania
$100 45.1% $82
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Goiania
$105 39.4% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$138
Goiania
$121 12% $16
Getting Around
Cape Town
$72
Goiania
$43 40% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$69
Goiania
$41 40.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $330 in Goiania. 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 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $22 in Goiania. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $177 – making Goiania the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇧🇷 Goiania
🕒 Local time
12:36 12:36 PM
07:36 7:36 AM
5 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
1,437,366
💱 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 = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.16 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Goiania 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Goiania

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 Goiania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Goiania?
Cape Town costs about 62% more than Goiania, 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 Goiania?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $1,410 in Goiania. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Goiania?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Goiania, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $330 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Goiania?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $940 in Goiania. That makes Goiania about 38% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Goiania?
Public transport costs about 41% less in Goiania. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cape Town or Goiania?
It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $940 in Goiania to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Cape Town or to Goiania?
If budget matters most, go with Goiania. 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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