Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Berlin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Berlin or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Berlin 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: Berlin or Cape Town?
Berlin
Berlin is the capital and largest city in Germany. As such, travelers can expect typical European prices for everything from hotels to food to sights and attractions. While it's possible to experience this city on a cheaper budget, don't expect to get much without paying a decent amount.
With a population of about 4.5 million, Berlin is a very international city that is well known for its high level of tolerance, an eclectic nightlife, an artistic vibe and many historical sights. There are museums, palaces and landmarks spread throughout the city. Despite having a significant amount of damage during the last few years of World War II, Berlin has been rebuilt with an interesting diversity of architecture styles. This is particularly true after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Architecture in the city represents many different historical periods ranging from medieval buildings through modern, glass structures.
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 Adventure Tours to Germany, The Best Cultural Tours in Germany, 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 dayBerlin €137Cape Town €91
The average daily cost (per person) in Berlin is €137, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is €91. 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 Berlin and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBerlin €64Cape Town €36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBerlin €128Cape Town €72
Compare Hotels in Berlin and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Berlin 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: Berlin Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Berlin €18Cape Town €16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Berlin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Berlin:
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Short Trip Metro Ticket€1.40
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Bahn Ticket€3.00
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Short Taxi Ride€20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Berlin
Also for Berlin, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Berlin HTL-APT (SXF): $300
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Berlin APT-HTL (SXF): $300
- Skip-the-line Charlottenburg Palace Private Tour & Transfers: $205
- Round Trip Private Transfer Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Berlin by Business Car: $258
- Private transfer from Berlin to Prague with Terezin Concentration Camp stop: $268
- Private transfer from Berlin to Prague: $732
- Private arrival OR departure transfer from/to airport of Berlin: $142
- Private Transfer: Brandenburg Airport BER to Berlin in Sedan Car: $103
- Private Transfer: Brandenburg Airport BER to Berlin in Luxury Van: $113
- Private Transfer: Brandenburg Airport BER to Berlin in Luxury Car: $119
- Private Transfer: Berlin to River Cruise Dock Nuremberg - Port/Harbor transport: $263
- Private Transfer: Berlin to Brandenburg Airport BER in Sedan Car: $103
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: $508
- From Group Transfer Only to Aquilla Game Reserve: $459
- Big 5 Aquila Safari Private Transfer with Park Fee From Cape Town: $300
- Jeep Dune Adventure Tour, Sandboarding & Transfer: $279
- Shark Cage Diving & Penguins Tour to Gansbaai with private transfers: $274
- Cape Town Morning or Afternoon Safari including private transfer: $254
- Aquila Safari Game Drive, Lunch & Shared Transfers from Cape Town: $252
- Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $250
- Pvt Airport to Hout Bay Transfer: $243
- Full Day Private Chauffeur and Transfer Services in Cape Town: $240
- 1 Day Helderberg Valley Winelands Tour with Private Transfers: $232
- Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Including Cape Town Transfers): $230
Is it cheaper to fly into Berlin or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Berlin 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 dayBerlin €52Cape Town €39
Typical Food Prices in Berlin
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Berlin:
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Sandwich and Coffee To Go€5.00
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Turkish Sandwich€2.00
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Currywurst€2.00
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2 Pho Noodles€9.00
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Restaurant Dinner and Beers (for 2)€60
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Mauer Park (2)€11
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Coffees at Impala€7.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Berlin
For Berlin, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- English Comedy Ticket including Pizza in Berlin Mitte: $18
- English Stand-Up Comedy with Pizza and Shots: $19
- Hard Rock Cafe Berlin with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
- Hard Rock Cafe Berlin With Set Lunch or Dinner : $34
- Berlin Mitte kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
- Kreuzberg kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
- No Diet Club - Street Food Tour with many Tastings !: $59
- Evening Yacht Cruise with Aperitif & Optional Dinner: $64
- Evening Food Tour by Bike: $70
- Sicilian Cooking Workshop with unlimited drinks: $70
- Sharing plate food tour in Berlin: $76
- Dinner Cruise on the Spree with Prosecco: $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:
- Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $28
- 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: $71
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
- Private Cooking Class and Meal in Local Wynberg Cape Town Home: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Berlin €22Cape Town €21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Berlin
For Berlin, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Berlin Zoo (2)€20
Tours and Activities in Berlin
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Berlin.
- East Berlin and the Berlin Wall 2-Hour Walking Tour : $22
- Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour from Berlin: $32
- (E) Bike Tour for Non Bikers option Rickshaw Shared Guide: $48
- 1-Hour Segway Discovery Tour Berlin: $49
- 2 Hours Berlin City Guided Electric Trike Tour: $74
- 2 Hours E-Scooter Tour: $60
- 2-Hour Private Berlin Walking Tour, Berlin in the Third Reich and Cold War: $213
- 3 Hours Berlin City Guided Electric Trike Tour: $91
- 3-Hour Alternative Berlin Bike Tour: Vibes of Berlin: $35
- 3-Hour Private Berlin Bike Tour: Vibes of Berlin: $185
- 3D Adventure black light mini golf (Berlin): $22
- 4 Hours 2 Person Highlights Berlin Rickshaw Tour with Guide : $207
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: $137
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $192
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $192
- Cape Point Private Tour withTable Mountain and Penguin Colony : $257
- Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope day tour Up to 10 persons: $66
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $280
- 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 : $166
- Long Walk to Freedom in Robben Island including Ticket & Afrogem: $156
- Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $165
- Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $114
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBerlin €16Cape Town €19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Berlin
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Berlin from other travelers:
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Drinks at a Show€14
Sample the Local Flavors in Berlin
Also in Berlin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- VIP Pub Crawl with Drinks and Challenges: $16
- brewery tour with beer tasting: $19
- Vagabund Brauerei Beer Tasting & Guided Brewery Tour: $24
- Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Club Entry: $24
- Berlin Pub Crawl and Nightlife Clubbing tour: $33
- The Showgirls of Burlesque: $46
- Showgirls of Burlesque Entry Ticket: $70
- Berlin:sunset boat trip with Argentine wine tasting and food: $215
- German Wine Tasting Tour at the Best Wine Bars in Berlin: $251
- German Wine Tasting Tour at the Best Wine Bars in Berlin: $255
- Bachelor(ette) Party with Pub Crawl: $404
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: $7.13
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.60
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $25
- 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
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $54
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Berlin and Cape Town, we can see that Berlin is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Berlin is in Europe 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 Berlin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Berlin 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 Berlin Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Berlin or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 0% larger than the population of Berlin. When comparing the sizes of Berlin 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 Berlin or Cape Town?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Cape Town is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Berlin has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Berlin or Cape Town in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Berlin and Cape Town. Many visitors come to Berlin in the summer for the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
Berlin is cooler than Cape Town in the summer. The daily temperature in Berlin averages around 19°C (66°F) in July, and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in January.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Berlin, it's very sunny this time of the year. Berlin usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during summer. Berlin gets 227 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Berlin usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Berlin gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryBerlin 19°C (66°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Berlin or Cape Town in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Berlin as well as Cape Town. Most visitors come to Berlin for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the music scene during these months.
In the autumn, Berlin is much colder than Cape Town. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Berlin in October average around 10°C (50°F), and Cape Town averages at about 18°C (64°F)in April.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. In the autumn, Berlin often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Berlin gets 106 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
Berlin usually gets less rain in October than Cape Townin April. Berlin gets 35 mm (1.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilBerlin 10°C (50°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Berlin or Cape Town in the Winter?
Both Cape Town and Berlin are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The winter months attract visitors to Berlin because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
The weather in Berlin can be very cold. In January, Berlin is generally much colder than Cape Townin July. Daily temperatures in Berlin average around -0°C (31°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F).
Berlin usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Berlin gets 42 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Berlin usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Berlin gets 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyBerlin -0°C (31°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Berlin or Cape Town in the Spring?
Both Cape Town and Berlin during the spring are popular places to visit. The activities around the city are the main draw to Berlin this time of year.
Berlin is much colder than Cape Town in the spring. The daily temperature in Berlin averages around 9°C (47°F) in April, and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F)in October.
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the spring, Berlin often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Berlin gets 160 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Berlin usually gets more rain in April than Cape Townin October. Berlin gets 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberBerlin 9°C (47°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Berlin
| Berlin | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -0°C (31°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 1°C (33°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 4°C (40°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 9°C (47°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 14°C (57°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 17°C (63°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 19°C (66°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 18°C (65°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 15°C (59°F) | 47 mm (1.9 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 10°C (50°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 5°C (41°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 2°C (35°F) | 51 mm (2 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.