Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Beirut?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Beirut or Johannesburg?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Beirut and Johannesburg. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Beirut or Johannesburg?
Beirut
Some travelers are seeking the hustle, bustle and posh atmosphere that only comes from a big city. Those travelers should have Beirut, Lebanon at the top of their list. The capital city is jam packed with 2.1 million people that are constantly on the go. As the commercial and financial hub of Lebanon, this city is fast-paced, fashion conscious and always ready for a night on the town.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, and The Best Eco Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBeirut $2.26Johannesburg $97
The average daily cost (per person) in Beirut is $2.26, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $97. 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 Beirut and Johannesburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBeirut $1.26Johannesburg $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBeirut $2.52Johannesburg $112
Compare Hotels in Beirut and Johannesburg
Looking for a hotel in Beirut or Johannesburg? 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: Beirut Hotel Prices and Johannesburg Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Beirut $0.44Johannesburg $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Beirut
Also for Beirut, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Beirut Arrival Airport Transfer Pickup: $9.89
- Departure Transfer:From Hotel To Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY): $10
- BEY Airport to Hotel, Private Arrival Transfer: $10
- Airport Departure Transfer From Your Beirut Hotel: $10
- Private Departure Transfer: From your hotel in Beirut to Airport: $10
- Airport Arrival Transfer to Your Beirut Hotel: $10
- Private Transfer from Beirut Hotels to the Beirut Airport: $10
- Private Arrival Transfer: Beirut International Airport to Hotel: $18
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Beirut International Airport: $18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Wheel Chair Accessible Airport Transfers Around Johannesburg: $49
- Transfers Between OR Tambo and Pilanesburg : $198
- Suncity Transfer: $195
- South Africa Airport Transfer, Johannesburg Guided day Tour: $134
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van: $76
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car: $104
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Sedan Car: $65
- Private Transfer, Airports to Cradle of Humankind & Muldersdrift : $148
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg O.R.Tambo Airport(JNB) to Johannesburg hotels: $116
- Private Roundtrip Transfer from Johannesburg Intl Airport: $98
- Private Land Rover transfer to Sun City from Johannesburg and PTA: $198
- Private Airport Transfers in Johannesburg : $55
Is it cheaper to fly into Beirut or Johannesburg?
Prices for flights to both Johannesburg and Beirut 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 dayBeirut $0.71Johannesburg $17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Beirut
For Beirut, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Authentic Lebanese Virtual Cooking Class Live from Lebanon: $30
- Traveling Spoon Lebanese Mezze Private Online Cooking Class : $40
- Private, Traditional Lebanese Cooking Class with a Contemporary Twist: $72
- Private Lebanese Home Cooking Class in Byblos with a Local Family: $86
- Authentic Lebanese Cooking Lesson and Meal with Tania's Family in Beirut: $100
- Private Lebanese Cooking Class in Beirut with Amal + Transfers: $142
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
- Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $50
- Unique street food tour from at least 6 different cultures!: $70
- Zulu Food Cooking & Dining Experience with a local Chef: $75
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $79
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $101
- Lesedi Cultural Village with lunch or dinner cultural food: $101
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Beirut $0.26Johannesburg $21
Tours and Activities in Beirut
For Beirut, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Small Group Tour to Jeita Grotto, Harisa & Byblos with Hotel pickup: $10
- Discovering Lebanon: Jeita Grotto, Harissa, and Byblos Tour: $15
- Beirut Walking Tour - Discover Beirut by foot: $25
- City Sightseeing Beirut Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $25
- Beirut Like a Local: Customized Private Tour: $35
- Downtown Beirut Walking Tour Including Lunch: $35
- Lebanon's Treasures: Jeita Grotto and Harissa Private Tour: $35
- Private Tour - Explore Anjar Lebanon: $35
- Lebanon's Historic Gems: Private Tour of Jeita, Byblos & Harissa: $40
- Enchanting Lebanon: Jeita, Harissa & saint Charbel Private Tour: $50
- Historical Beirut Tour (AM) Half Day - (4G on Board): $50
- Discover Lebanon's Finest Wine: Full Day Tour of the Bekaa Valley: $50
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $123
- Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $195
- Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $98
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $53
- 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,736
- 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $4,104
- 3 Day Kruger National Park Private Tour from Johannesburg: $870
- 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $843
- 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,757
- 6 Days Johannesburg and Kruger National Park Tour: $1,641
- 6 Days of The Best of Johannesburg Experience: $886
- A Day Of Soweto Food & Beer Tour: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBeirut $0.23Johannesburg $4.82
Sample the Local Flavors in Beirut
Also in Beirut, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Private Wine Tasting Day Tour from Beirut: $50
- Bekaa Valley Wine Tour: Savour Lebanon's Finest: $50
- Full-Day Private Wine Tasting Tour: $56
- Uncorking Splendor: A Journey Through Private Wine Tasting Tours: $60
- Byblos & Chateau Musar: History and Wine Tour: $65
- Wine Tasting and Culture : $69
- Wine Tasting and Hiking in the Cedars forest : $69
- Private Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch from Beirut: $82
- Fabulous Wine Tour in Central Bekaa Valley: $88
- Lebanon Wine Tasting Tour From Beirut: $91
- Private tour to Jeita Grotto with Wine Tasting in Faqra Ruins: $110
Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:
- Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $8.38
- Wine Tasting: $11
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $228
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Beirut and Johannesburg, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Beirut much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Beirut is in Middle East and Johannesburg 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 Beirut would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Beirut 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 Johannesburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johannesburg than you might in Beirut.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Beirut Expensive? and Is Johannesburg Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Beirut or Johannesburg?
Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 6% larger than the population of Beirut. When comparing the sizes of Beirut and Johannesburg, 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.
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.