Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Hoi An Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Hoi An

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $891 in Hoi An, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $1,275 in Hoi An, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $1,658 in Hoi An, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 84% more than Hoi An, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Hoi An is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 196

$2.27 ₫59.1K

437.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 786

$18.29 ₫476.8K

167.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.8

$3.79 ₫98.7K

49.08%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.34

$1.72 ₫44.9K

53.49%

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

$1.31 R 21.12

$0.62 ₫16.1K

111.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.99

$0.32 ₫8,248

231.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.9

$1.31 ₫34.3K

141.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 61.0

$1.33 ₫34.6K

185.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.15

$1.54 ₫40.1K

-10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.84

$1.14 ₫29.7K

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.99

$1.04 ₫27.2K

109.62%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.85

$1.52 ₫39.6K

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 147

$12.83 ₫334.5K

-28.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 111

$3.94 ₫102.8K

74.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 150

$9.06 ₫236.3K

2.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.39

$2.68 ₫69.8K

-29.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.67

$1.11 ₫28.8K

82.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.78

$1.00 ₫26.1K

67.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.63

$1.45 ₫37.8K

53.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.55

$1.09 ₫28.5K

40.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.96

$1.04 ₫27.0K

55.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.42

$0.67 ₫17.5K

98.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.91

$0.53 ₫13.9K

122.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.7

$1.51 ₫39.2K

137.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 100

$7.84 ₫204.3K

-20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.57

$0.83 ₫21.6K

69.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 37.19

$1.49 ₫38.8K

55.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.31

$0.24 ₫6,264

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 988

$3.75 ₫97.7K

1540.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.36

$0.93 ₫24.3K

-30.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.98

$0.64 ₫16.8K

153.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 81.3

$3.90 ₫101.6K

29.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.22

$0.86 ₫22.4K

82.56%

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

$37.1K R 595.7K

$30.7K ₫801.4M

20.65%

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

$33.2K R 533.1K

$27.3K ₫710.6M

21.74%

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

$121 R 1,938

$77.6 ₫2.0M

55.50%

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

$30.79 R 495

$6.22 ₫162.1K

395.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 636

$8.21 ₫214.0K

382.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 814

$16.69 ₫435.0K

203.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 190

$4.66 ₫121.4K

153.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 150

$3.05 ₫79.6K

206.56%

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

$265 R 4,261

$113 ₫2.9M

135.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 105.4K

$16.8K ₫436.9M

-60.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 925

$45.78 ₫1.2M

25.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 532

$27.19 ₫708.8K

21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,941

$68.7 ₫1.8M

75.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,764

$80.7 ₫2.1M

36.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.6K

$440 ₫11.5M

135.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.7K

$402 ₫10.5M

80.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.5K

$535 ₫13.9M

254.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.8K

$611 ₫15.9M

122.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 40.0K

$1,540 ₫40.1M

61.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.9K

$975 ₫25.4M

65.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.4K

$288 ₫7.5M

469.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

10.34

6.58%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hoi An: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $440 in Hoi An. 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 470% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Cape Town versus $18.00 in Hoi An. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $191 – making Hoi An the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hoi An: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 84% more than Hoi An, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. 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 $1,337 in Hoi An. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hoi An, 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 $891 in Hoi An. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 1540% less in Hoi An. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hoi An, where all-in costs run around $891, than in Cape Town at $1,640. In Hoi An 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. Hoi An costs $891 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 Hoi An. 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.