Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hvar and Cape Town

For one person, living costs are similar in Hvar and in Cape Town: $1,522 and $1,556 a month, rent and utilities included.

Hvar, Croatia
Cape Town, South Africa
Hvar
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,522
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,556
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,522 per month in Hvar vs $1,556 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Hvar $1,522
  • Cape Town $1,556

A couple spends around $2,310 per month in Hvar vs $2,432 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Hvar $2,310
  • Cape Town $2,432

A family of three spends $3,097 per month in Hvar vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Hvar $3,097
  • Cape Town $3,307

Hvar is about 2% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hvar and Cape Town sit above the global median – Hvar by 12%, Cape Town by 14%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.08 €11.75
$12.09 R 201
8.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.8 €65.4
$44.34 R 738
64.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.13 €8.20
$6.15 R 102
48.46%
Cappuccino
$2.53 €2.27
$2.36 R 39.24
7.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.80
$1.26 R 21.03
147.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.05
$1.00 R 16.56
128.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.54 €3.18
$3.08 R 51.2
14.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.09 €3.68
$3.70 R 61.5
10.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 €1.07
$1.34 R 22.38
-11.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 €1.39
$1.19 R 19.86
29.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 €2.69
$2.10 R 34.96
42.38%
Eggs
$3.88 €3.49
$3.05 R 50.7
27.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.69 €9.60
$8.73 R 145
22.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 €8.52
$6.97 R 116
36.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.72 €10.53
$9.39 R 156
24.81%
Apples (1kg)
$1.72 €1.55
$1.89 R 31.39
-8.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.88 R 31.27
-11.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 €1.79
$1.69 R 28.04
17.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.31
$2.04 R 34.02
25.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 €1.16
$1.57 R 26.08
-17.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 €1.15
$1.48 R 24.61
-13.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 €1.14
$1.28 R 21.33
-0.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 €1.08
$1.19 R 19.78
0.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.73 €5.14
$3.63 R 60.4
57.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.89 €6.19
$6.17 R 103
11.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 €1.35
$1.39 R 23.10
7.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.79
$2.18 R 36.27
-8.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.76 €1.58
$1.37 R 22.79
28.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.21 €38.83
$61.3 R 1,020
-29.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.77
$0.57 R 9.56
440.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.11 €1.00
$1.48 R 24.58
-25.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.80 €7.91
$4.90 R 81.5
79.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.60
$1.58 R 26.25
12.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K €34.4K
$34.7K R 577.5K
10.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K €23.9K
$34.1K R 567.4K
-22.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 €171
$117 R 1,945
62.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.50 €20.22
$28.35 R 472
-20.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.64 €28.43
$40.58 R 675
-22.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.5 €45.38
$48.54 R 808
4.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.55 €13.07
$10.80 R 180
34.72%
Cinema Ticket
$8.86 €7.96
$9.11 R 152
-2.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$243 €218
$302 R 5,024
-19.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,090 €7,269
$6,720 R 111.8K
20.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.0 €84.4
$55.2 R 919
70.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.00 €35.04
$32.70 R 544
19.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.2
$118 R 1,961
-11.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.8
$104 R 1,728
1.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$681 €612
$1,041 R 17.3K
-34.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$526 €473
$691 R 11.5K
-23.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,116 €1,002
$1,981 R 33.0K
-43.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$828 €744
$1,388 R 23.1K
-40.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,155 €3,734
$2,420 R 40.3K
71.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,241 €2,912
$1,552 R 25.8K
108.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hvar
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,576 R 26.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.35
10.97
-60.35%

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

Last update for Hvar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hvar
$526
Cape Town
$691 31.2% $164
Groceries & Markets
Hvar
$260
Cape Town
$224 14% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hvar
$244
Cape Town
$186 23.8% $58
Eating Out
Hvar
$210
Cape Town
$175 16.4% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Hvar
$155
Cape Town
$139 9.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Hvar
$68
Cape Town
$67 2.2% $1.5
Getting Around
Hvar
$59
Cape Town
$75 26.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $681 in Hvar versus $1,041 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Hvar versus $44 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $224 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Hvar
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
13:56 1:56 PM
14:56 2:56 PM
1 h ahead of Hvar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,979
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hvar Cape Town 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hvar
  • Cape Town

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
Hvar vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hvar or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 2% more than Hvar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Hvar and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,283 per month in Hvar and $2,335 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hvar or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hvar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $681 there versus $1,041 in Cape Town.
How much does it cost to live in Hvar compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,522 in Hvar and $1,556 in Cape Town. That’s a gap of about 2%.
How expensive is transport in Hvar compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 29% less in Hvar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Hvar or in Cape Town?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,522 in Hvar and $1,556 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Hvar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Hvar vs other spots: cost of living compared

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