Cape Town vs Rio de Janeiro - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Cape Town Rio de Janeiro
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1120
$955
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2628
$2402
🏠 One person rent
$603
$447
🏘️ Family rent
$1117
$765
🍽️ Food expenses
$284
$255
🚐 Transport expenses
$137
$157
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1545
$365
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
3 km
🎓 Higher education
55
94
😀 Quality of life
59
62
🏙️ Population
3.78M
6.21M

The cost of living in Cape Town is 17% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro. Cities ranked 4849th and 5959th ($1120 vs $955) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 2nd in South Africa and Brazil, respectively. Check South Africa vs Brazil comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.4 months in Cape Town compared to 0.4 months in Rio de Janeiro. Cape Town ranked 1st best city to live in South Africa vs Rio de Janeiro ranked 3rd in Brazil, while ranked 5407th and 4932nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Cape Town vs Rio de Janeiro infographic

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Prices in Cape Town vs Rio de Janeiro

Prices for goods and services in Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Cape Town Rio de Janeiro
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$7.8
$6.12
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$34
$32.9
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.15
$6.61
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.53
$1.86
☕ Cappuccino
$2.32
$2.28
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.04
$1.16
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$705
$506
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$452
$318
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1367
$850
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$889
$581
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$59
$71.6
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$91.3
$110
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$41.1
$19.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.61%
10.19%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1902
$2041
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1292
$1135
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.14
$1.13
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$45.3
$53.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$8.91
$8.71
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.36
$1.06
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.1
$1.05
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.07
$1.37
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$1.12
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.67
$2.03
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.88
$7.85
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.96
$3.45
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.13
$8.19
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.58
$2.23
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.61
$1.57
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.51
$1.23
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.64
$1.71
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.53
$1.25
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.35
$1.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.66
$0.37
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.44
$1.84
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$5.57
$8.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.42
$1.21
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.99
$1.85
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.24
$4.04
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.42
$3.23
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.24
$1.03
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.59
$0.95
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$36.2
$24.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.5
$6.94
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$38.2
$61.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.4
$7.95
👖 Brand Jeans
$52.1
$50.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$103
$75.3
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$201
$535
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$4270
$10815

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Cape Town

Distance City Cost of living
54 km or 33 mi Paarl
$850
99 km or 62 mi Worcester
$649
371 km or 231 mi George
$790
644 km or 400 mi Uitenhage
$901
662 km or 411 mi Port Elizabeth
$970
664 km or 413 mi Upington
$741
754 km or 468 mi Makhanda
$792
821 km or 510 mi Komani
$953
833 km or 518 mi Kimberley
$859
845 km or 525 mi Bhisho
$1286
882 km or 548 mi East London
$703
912 km or 567 mi Bloemfontein
$696
950 km or 590 mi Mafeteng
$581
999 km or 621 mi Maseru
$627
1002 km or 622 mi Mthatha
$862
1029 km or 639 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
1030 km or 640 mi Welkom
$774
1034 km or 643 mi Mariental
$832
1092 km or 679 mi Butha-Buthe
$559
1092 km or 679 mi Kroonstad
$788
1113 km or 692 mi Klerksdorp
$689
1135 km or 705 mi Mmabatho
$809
1155 km or 718 mi Potchefstroom
$717
1187 km or 737 mi Rehoboth
$779
1194 km or 742 mi Lobatse
$692
1198 km or 745 mi Kanye
$690
1208 km or 751 mi Vanderbijlpark
$768
1217 km or 756 mi Vereeniging
$717
1231 km or 765 mi Pietermaritzburg
$674
1244 km or 773 mi Soweto
$971
1250 km or 777 mi Rustenburg
$943
1260 km or 783 mi Gaborone
$718
1261 km or 783 mi Molepolole
$654
1261 km or 784 mi Johannesburg
$1079
1267 km or 788 mi Randburg
$874
1269 km or 789 mi Windhoek
$840
1270 km or 789 mi Sandton
$997
1271 km or 790 mi Durban
$834
1277 km or 794 mi Gobabis
$818
1279 km or 795 mi Walvis Bay
$790

Cities near Rio de Janeiro

Distance City Cost of living
9.9 km or 6.2 mi Niteroi
$773
18 km or 11 mi Duque de Caxias
$636
21 km or 13 mi Sao Joao de Meriti
$652
26 km or 16 mi Belford Roxo
$808
31 km or 19 mi Nova Iguacu
$591
45 km or 28 mi Petropolis
$600
60 km or 37 mi Teresopolis
$578
70 km or 44 mi Saquarema
$675
98 km or 61 mi Nova Friburgo
$500
102 km or 64 mi Volta Redonda
$549
108 km or 67 mi Barra Mansa
$563
112 km or 70 mi Sao Pedro da Aldeia
$647
115 km or 72 mi Angra dos Reis
$649
121 km or 75 mi Cabo Frio
$656
130 km or 81 mi Juiz de Fora
$461
135 km or 84 mi Rio das Ostras
$513
137 km or 85 mi Resende
$596
157 km or 97 mi Macae
$635
184 km or 115 mi Cruzeiro
$620
196 km or 122 mi Barbacena
$520
199 km or 123 mi Lorena
$664
200 km or 124 mi Ubatuba
$623
201 km or 125 mi Uba
$585
208 km or 129 mi Guaratingueta
$629
215 km or 134 mi Muriae
$618
226 km or 140 mi Sao Joao del-Rei
$532
231 km or 144 mi Campos dos Goytacazes
$537
232 km or 144 mi Pindamonhangaba
$609
238 km or 148 mi Itajuba
$543
240 km or 149 mi Caraguatatuba
$618
241 km or 150 mi Taubate
$617
242 km or 150 mi Vicosa
$593
245 km or 152 mi Sao Sebastiao
$622
251 km or 156 mi Tres Coracoes
$542
257 km or 160 mi Conselheiro Lafaiete
$631
258 km or 160 mi Cacapava
$618
264 km or 164 mi Lavras
$515
275 km or 171 mi Varginha
$463
277 km or 172 mi Sao Jose dos Campos
$666
279 km or 173 mi Ponte Nova
$585