Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Abu Dhabi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Abu Dhabi or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Abu Dhabi and Cape Town can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Abu Dhabi or Cape Town?
Abu Dhabi
It doesn't get more "lifestyles of the rich and famous" than a vacation to Abu Dhabi. The federal capital and center of government for the United Arab Emirates is arguably the most modern city in the world.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.5 million and provides a home to several oil companies and embassies, but this place is definitely a playground for the world's fanciest tourists. This city has several large projects underway including Yas Island's Formula 1 track and Ferrari theme park.
Note: homosexuality is still outlawed in the UAE with harsh punishments including deportation, fines, jail time or even a death sentence.
Cape Town
Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.
Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to United Arab Emirates, The Best Tours for Seniors to United Arab Emirates, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAbu Dhabi $164Cape Town $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Abu Dhabi is $164, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $98. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Abu Dhabi and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAbu Dhabi $98Cape Town $39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAbu Dhabi $196Cape Town $78
Compare Hotels in Abu Dhabi and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Abu Dhabi or Cape Town? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Abu Dhabi Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Abu Dhabi $20Cape Town $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Abu Dhabi
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Abu Dhabi are as follows:
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Car Rental$31
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Taxi to Airport$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Abu Dhabi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Abu Dhabi:
- Warner Bros World Ticket's -Abu Dhabi Without Transfer: $220
- Warner Bros General Admission with Transfers: $150
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Abu Dhabi HTL-APT(AUH): $52
- Transfer in private minivan from Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH)- Abu Dhabi City: $67
- Skydive in Abu Dhabi | Tandem Skydive with transfer: $817
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) - Abu Dhabi City: $133
- Private transfer: Abu Dhabi to Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH): $41
- Private transfer: Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) to Abu Dhabi: $40
- Private direct transfer from Abu Dhabi to Dubai: $124
- Private Transfer: Abu Dhabi to Dubai Airport DXB in Luxury Van: $212
- Private Transfer: Abu Dhabi Airport AUH to Dubai in Luxury Van: $202
- Private Transfer: Abu Dhabi Airport AUH to Dubai in Business Car: $190
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers: $11
- Private Airport Transfers in Cape Town- One way/Round Trips: $16
- Airport Transfer to Cape Town Cruise Terminal: $17
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer from Airport to Cape Town City Center (CBD): $17
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Claremont Cape Town : $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Exclusive Cape Town Airport and Cruise Terminal Transfers: $18
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Camps Bay Cape Town: $18
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $18
- 24 hour Private Airport Shuttle and Transfer CBD: $19
- Private Transfer Cape Town Airport to or from From Cape Town: $19
Is it cheaper to fly into Abu Dhabi or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Abu Dhabi change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAbu Dhabi $45Cape Town $42
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Abu Dhabi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Abu Dhabi.
- Dubai: Dhow Cruise Marina Multi Cusine Dinner & Tanura Show: $35
- Dubai Marina luxury Dhow Cruise Dinner (catamaran): $42
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari BBQ Dinner Live Shows Pick & Drop More: $45
- Dubai Best Dhow Cruise Dinner Marina: $46
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows: $49
- Desert Safari, Quad Bike, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner: $50
- Desert Tour with BBQ Dinner and Hotel Transfer: $51
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner: $60
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner and all Camp Activities : $72
- Desert Safari Abu Dhabi w/ Sand Boarding, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner: $75
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari & Dinner Under the Stars: $77
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari (Dune Bashing, BBQ Dinner, Camel Ride & Sand Skii): $80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $41
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $43
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $55
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $56
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $59
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $61
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $61
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $62
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $70
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Abu Dhabi $39Cape Town $23
Tours and Activities in Abu Dhabi
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Abu Dhabi are as follows:
- Abu Dhabi Full Day City Tour : $100
- Abu Dhabi Louvre Museum Entrance Ticket: $41
- Abu Dhabi Tour-Sheik Zayed Mosque, Emirates Palace With Louvre Musuem: $115
- Falcon Hospital Tour with Transportation : $101
- Full Day Abu Dhabi City & Louvre Museum Tour: $90
- Private Full-Day Tour in Abu Dhabi: $234
- Ticket to Louvre Museum, Abu Dhabi: $19
- 4 Hour Cultural Tour of Abu Dhabi - Private Tour: $160
- 8 Hour Ticket/Pass For Yas Water World In Dubai.: $103
- Abu Dhabi 'Hidden Gems' by City Break - walking tours made fun!: $32
- Abu Dhabi 4G & 5G Data Roaming for Tourist: $11
- Abu Dhabi : Private Custom Walking Tour with A Guide: $43
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $2.99
- District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $3.24
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.59
- Kirstenbosch: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $3.99
- Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $4.14
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.38
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.38
- Meandering through Mouille Point: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.99
- V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise: $5.00
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Return Ticket : $5.32
- Intaka Island Kayak Tour: $5.40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAbu Dhabi $13Cape Town $21
Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town
Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $7.17
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.66
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $28
- Sip 15 Wines on a 3-Region Wine Tour with Cheese: $38
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $38
- Three Region Wine Tour: $44
- Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $47
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $49
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $51
- Fullday Wine Tour: $51
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $52
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Abu Dhabi and Cape Town, we can see that Abu Dhabi is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Abu Dhabi is in Middle East and Cape Town is in Africa, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Cape Town would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cape Town and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Abu Dhabi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Abu Dhabi than you might in Cape Town.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Abu Dhabi Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Abu Dhabi or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Abu Dhabi. When comparing the sizes of Abu Dhabi and Cape Town, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Abu Dhabi or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Abu Dhabi experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or Cape Town in the Summer?
Both Cape Town and Abu Dhabi during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Abu Dhabi because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
The heat can be very extreme in Abu Dhabi. In the summer, Abu Dhabi is much warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the summer temperatures in Abu Dhabi in July average around 35°C (95°F), and Cape Town averages at about 21°C (70°F)in January.
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Abu Dhabi. In the summer, Abu Dhabi often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Townin January. Abu Dhabi gets 331 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun.
Abu Dhabi usually gets less rain in July than Cape Townin January. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryAbu Dhabi 35°C (95°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or Cape Town in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Abu Dhabi and Cape Town. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Abu Dhabi year-round.
In October, Abu Dhabi is generally much warmer than Cape Townin April. Daily temperatures in Abu Dhabi average around 29°C (84°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Abu Dhabi, it's very sunny this time of the year. Abu Dhabi usually receives more sunshine than Cape Town during autumn. Abu Dhabi gets 314 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Abu Dhabi usually receives less rain than Cape Townin April. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilAbu Dhabi 29°C (84°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or Cape Town in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Abu Dhabi as well as Cape Town. Abu Dhabi attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Abu Dhabi is a little warmer than Cape Town in the winter. The daily temperature in Abu Dhabi averages around 18°C (64°F) in January, and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F)in July.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Abu Dhabi this time of the year. In the winter, Abu Dhabi often gets more sunshine than Cape Townin July. Abu Dhabi gets 269 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun.
Abu Dhabi usually gets less rain in January than Cape Townin July. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyAbu Dhabi 18°C (64°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Abu Dhabi or Cape Town in the Spring?
Both Cape Town and Abu Dhabi are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Abu Dhabi throughout the year.
In the spring, Abu Dhabi is much warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the spring temperatures in Abu Dhabi in April average around 27°C (81°F), and Cape Town averages at about 16°C (61°F)in October.
It's quite sunny in Cape Town. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Town during spring. Abu Dhabi gets 297 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Abu Dhabi usually receives less rain than Cape Townin October. Abu Dhabi gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberAbu Dhabi 27°C (81°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Abu Dhabi
| Abu Dhabi | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 18°C (64°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 20°C (68°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 23°C (73°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 31°C (88°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 33°C (91°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 35°C (95°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 36°C (97°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 33°C (91°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 29°C (84°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 25°C (77°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 21°C (70°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.