Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaroslavl and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaroslavl: $844 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Yaroslavl
🇷🇺 Russia
$844
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yaroslavl 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 Yaroslavl and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $844 per month in Yaroslavl vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Yaroslavl $844
  • Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,334 per month in Yaroslavl vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Yaroslavl $1,334
  • Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,824 per month in Yaroslavl vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Yaroslavl $1,824
  • Cape Town $3,263

Yaroslavl is about 47% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Yaroslavl sits 37% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.03 ₽504
$12.14 R 200
-50.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.38 ₽2,535
$45.34 R 747
-33.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.98 ₽582
$5.88 R 96.9
18.71%
Cappuccino
$2.75 ₽229
$2.50 R 41.18
10.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 ₽81.7
$1.27 R 20.94
-22.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₽44.60
$0.98 R 16.14
-45.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 ₽82.4
$2.99 R 49.33
-66.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 ₽117
$3.72 R 61.4
-62.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 ₽76.5
$1.30 R 21.40
-29.23%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 ₽71.8
$1.25 R 20.68
-31.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.21 ₽101
$2.23 R 36.76
-45.74%
Eggs
$1.61 ₽134
$3.11 R 51.2
-48.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 ₽739
$9.06 R 149
-2.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.98 ₽416
$6.92 R 114
-28.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.12 ₽1,012
$9.30 R 153
30.32%
Apples (1kg)
$1.62 ₽135
$1.84 R 30.25
-11.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 ₽118
$1.96 R 32.29
-27.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.54 ₽129
$1.67 R 27.45
-7.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 ₽212
$2.17 R 35.70
17.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 ₽60.1
$1.57 R 25.81
-54.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 ₽31.01
$1.48 R 24.45
-75.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 ₽122
$1.30 R 21.41
12.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 ₽33.86
$1.13 R 18.60
-63.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.11 ₽176
$3.60 R 59.3
-41.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.96 ₽581
$6.15 R 101
13.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ₽59.1
$1.38 R 22.66
-48.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 ₽123
$2.14 R 35.20
-30.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 ₽43.54
$1.50 R 24.65
-65.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.19 ₽1,518
$60.8 R 1,001
-70.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.47 ₽289
$0.59 R 9.71
488.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ₽14.19
$1.50 R 24.65
-88.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 ₽305
$5.11 R 84.2
-28.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 ₽71.7
$1.55 R 25.50
-44.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K ₽3.0M
$36.2K R 596.5K
-0.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.4K ₽3.2M
$31.2K R 514.8K
23.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 ₽8,613
$114 R 1,883
-9.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.65 ₽304
$28.91 R 476
-87.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$4.84 ₽404
$39.73 R 654
-87.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.60 ₽2,220
$49.01 R 808
-45.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.07 ₽1,508
$10.99 R 181
64.42%
Cinema Ticket
$5.80 ₽484
$9.15 R 151
-36.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$179 ₽15.0K
$259 R 4,264
-30.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,557 ₽296.9K
$6,794 R 111.9K
-47.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.63 ₽3,558
$56.2 R 926
-24.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.11 ₽2,012
$32.41 R 534
-25.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$141 ₽11.8K
$121 R 1,987
17.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 ₽9,753
$108 R 1,781
8.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$374 ₽31.2K
$1,021 R 16.8K
-63.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$221 ₽18.4K
$717 R 11.8K
-69.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$777 ₽64.9K
$1,824 R 30.1K
-57.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$420 ₽35.1K
$1,327 R 21.9K
-68.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,479 ₽206.9K
$2,391 R 39.4K
3.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,171 ₽97.8K
$1,542 R 25.4K
-24.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yaroslavl
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$839 ₽70.0K
$1,639 R 27.0K
-48.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.56
10.97
78.30%

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

Last update for Yaroslavl: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Yaroslavl
$221
Cape Town
$717 224% $496
Groceries & Markets
Yaroslavl
$186
Cape Town
$225 20.7% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Yaroslavl
$146
Cape Town
$143 2.3% $3.4
Eating Out
Yaroslavl
$116
Cape Town
$176 51.9% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yaroslavl
$112
Cape Town
$183 63.8% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Yaroslavl
$38
Cape Town
$67 76.3% $29
Getting Around
Yaroslavl
$25
Cape Town
$75 204% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $374 in Yaroslavl versus $1,021 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.

Salaries run about 95% 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 $30.00 in Yaroslavl versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $225 – making Yaroslavl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Yaroslavl
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
02:39 2:39 AM
01:39 1:39 AM
1 h behind Yaroslavl
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
570,824
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Yaroslavl Cape Town 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Yaroslavl
  • Cape Town

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Yaroslavl vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Yaroslavl or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 88% more than Yaroslavl, 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 Yaroslavl and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,266 per month in Yaroslavl and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Yaroslavl or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaroslavl, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Yaroslavl compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $844 in Yaroslavl and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 88%.
How expensive is transport in Yaroslavl compared to Cape Town?
Public transport costs about 234% less in Yaroslavl. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Yaroslavl or in Cape Town?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yaroslavl, where all-in costs run around $844, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Yaroslavl it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Yaroslavl or Cape Town?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yaroslavl costs $844 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Yaroslavl compared to Cape Town?
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.
Should I move to Yaroslavl or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Yaroslavl. 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.

Yaroslavl vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?