A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Addis Ababa vs. Cape Town for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Cape Town?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Cape Town, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Cape Town?

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.

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 Historical Tours in Ethiopia, The Best Adventure Tours to Ethiopia, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Addis Ababa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $68, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $95. 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 Addis Ababa and Cape Town in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $44
    Cape Town $37
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $88
    Cape Town $74
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Cape Town

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa 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.

Hotels in Addis Ababa


Hotels in Cape Town


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: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $7.91
    Cape Town $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.53

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa

Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $19
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $22
  • Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town

Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • From 3-Day Safari and Coastal Tour with Transfer: $493
  • From Group Transfer Only to Aquilla Game Reserve: $445
  • Big 5 Aquila Safari Private Transfer with Park Fee From Cape Town: $300
  • Shark Cage Diving Plus Wine Tasting Private Transfer From Cape Town Full Day: $297
  • Jeep Dune Adventure Tour, Sandboarding & Transfer: $271
  • Private Transfer Only - Experience Big-5 Safari Cape Town: $257
  • Path to Freedom Tour with Private Transfers: $254
  • Cape Town Morning or Afternoon Safari including private transfer: $248
  • Cape Town International Airport and Hotel Private Group Transfers: $246
  • Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $245
  • Pvt Airport to Hout Bay Transfer: $236
  • Full Day Private Chauffeur and Transfer Services in Cape Town: $230

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Cape Town?

Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Addis Ababa 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Addis Ababa $18
    Cape Town $41
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:


  • Slice of Cake
    $0.12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa

For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • Ethiopian Cultural Dinner in Addis Ababa with LIVE Traditional Dance Show: $77
  • Culinary Class and Food Tour in Addis Ababa : $82
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $120
  • Private Ethiopian Home Cooking Class in Addis Ababa with Transfer: $124
  • Half Day + Dinner Addis Ababa City Tour: $150
  • Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis with transfers: $154
  • Market Tour and Cooking Class with a Coffee Ceremony at a Home in Addis Ababa: $168
  • Food Tour in Addis Ababa: $205
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa Ethiopia: $243

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:

  • Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $28
  • Cape Malay Cooking with a Chef Founder: $28
  • Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $35
  • 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $42
  • Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $55
  • Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $58
  • African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $59
  • Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $60
  • From CapeTown: African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $61
  • Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $69
  • Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $74
  • Private Cooking Class and Meal in Local Wynberg Cape Town Home: $80

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $8.16
    Cape Town $22

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.

  • Addis Ababa City Tours Full-Day Tours : $113
  • Airport Layover Tour | Addis highlights, National Palace, Coffee Ceremony: $200
  • “Addis Ababa City Tours”: $75
  • 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $311
  • 3 Day Private Meskel Festival, Addis Ababa City and Debre Libanos Monastery Tour: $300
  • 3 Days Meskel Festival Package-Addis Ababa City Tour/Debre Libanos Monastery: $256
  • 4 Hours Addis Ababa highlights city tour from Bole airport: $68
  • 9 Days Omo Valley and Danakil Danakil Depression tour: $3,909
  • Addis Ababa - Half Day City Tour: $180
  • Addis Ababa - Half Day Cultural Experience : $100
  • Addis Ababa Authentic Private City Tour: $75
  • Addis Ababa Bole Airport Culinary and Walking Tour : $62

Tours and Activities in Cape Town

For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $135
  • Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $191
  • Cape Point Full Day Tour: $216
  • Cape Point Private Tour withTable Mountain and Penguin Colony : $251
  • Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope day tour Up to 10 persons: $66
  • Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $30
  • CapeWinelands Private Tour to Stellenbosch,Franschhoek and Paarl: $96
  • Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $162
  • Long Walk to Freedom in Robben Island including Ticket & Afrogem: $154
  • Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $164
  • Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $112
  • Private Cape Peninsula Tour : $114

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $6.74
    Cape Town $20

Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:

  • Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
  • The Pub Crawl Royale: A Battle of the Best Drinks: $65
  • Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $69

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:

  • Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.46
  • African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
  • Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $28
  • Wine tasting tour : $36
  • From 3 Regions Wine Tour incl 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $37
  • Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $38
  • half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $42
  • Fullday Wine Tour: $50
  • Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $51
  • Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $53
  • Private Constantia Wine Tour: $59
  • Cape Point Chapman's Peak Drive Penguins Full Day Tour + Wine Tasting: $59


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town than you might in Addis Ababa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Cape Town?

Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 25% larger than the population of Addis Ababa. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa 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.