Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Hiroshima Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Hiroshima

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $919 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $1,482 in Hiroshima, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $2,046 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 79% more than Hiroshima, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 195

$6.05 ¥945

101.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 780

$31.23 ¥4,879

56.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.1

$4.89 ¥764

15.54%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.04

$2.72 ¥426

-2.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 20.98

$1.02 ¥160

28.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.87

$0.67 ¥105

58.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.5

$2.64 ¥413

20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 60.5

$3.65 ¥570

4.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.00

$1.50 ¥235

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.70

$1.56 ¥243

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.75

$4.68 ¥731

-53.42%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.51

$2.09 ¥326

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 146

$4.93 ¥770

86.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 110

$5.96 ¥931

15.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 149

$11.07 ¥1,730

-15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.18

$3.39 ¥529

-44.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.44

$1.90 ¥297

6.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.60

$3.74 ¥584

-55.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.38

$3.73 ¥582

-40.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.38

$1.50 ¥234

2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.78

$3.44 ¥537

-52.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.27

$1.28 ¥200

3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.78

$0.77 ¥121

53.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.3

$3.83 ¥599

-6.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 99.6

$7.63 ¥1,192

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.41

$1.85 ¥289

-23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 36.93

$2.46 ¥384

-5.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.14

$1.91 ¥298

-24.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 981

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.29

$3.72 ¥581

-82.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.80

$1.23 ¥192

31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 80.8

$20.94 ¥3,271

-75.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.04

$1.04 ¥163

50.96%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K R 591.6K

$21.3K ¥3.3M

73.72%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K R 529.3K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

118.82%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$121 R 1,925

$137 ¥21.4K

-11.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.79 R 491

$23.88 ¥3,730

28.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 631

$30.26 ¥4,727

30.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 808

$53.6 ¥8,368

-5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 188

$4.80 ¥749

145.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 149

$11.97 ¥1,870

-21.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$265 R 4,232

$158 ¥24.6K

68.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 104.6K

$3,422 ¥534.6K

91.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 918

$28.18 ¥4,403

104.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 528

$24.90 ¥3,891

33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,927

$47.12 ¥7,362

156.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,752

$61.8 ¥9,654

77.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.5K

$238 ¥37.2K

335.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.6K

$185 ¥28.9K

292.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.2K

$635 ¥99.2K

198.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.7K

$503 ¥78.6K

170.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 39.7K

$1,883 ¥294.1K

32.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.8K

$1,889 ¥295.1K

-14.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.2K

$1,956 ¥305.6K

-16.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

2.21

398.64%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $238 in Hiroshima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Hiroshima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Cape Town versus $31.00 in Hiroshima. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Cape Town vs $253 in Hiroshima – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 79% more than Hiroshima, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Cape Town and $1,378 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hiroshima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,640 in Cape Town and $919 in Hiroshima. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $265 per month in Cape Town and $158 in Hiroshima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Cape Town at $1,640. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hiroshima costs $919 versus $1,640 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hiroshima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.