Which place is cheaper, Pretoria or Bucharest?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Bucharest or Pretoria?
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 Bucharest and Pretoria. 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: Bucharest or Pretoria?
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital and largest city in the country of Romania. With about 2 million residents living in the city and about 2.4 million in the surrounding urban area, it is also one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe. As such, it is the economic, industrial and commercial center for the country. As a visitor, you will likely enter Romania by arriving in Bucharest. The city continues to grow and change, and there are ongoing infrastructure projects that continue to modernize the city. It is not uncommon to find historic churches on the same block as modern office buildings and Communist style apartment buildings. There are also many sights around town and the city continues to grow as a trendy and fascinating city.
Pretoria
Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Bucharest, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Romania, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBucharest $139Pretoria $50
The average daily cost (per person) in Bucharest is $139, while the average daily cost in Pretoria is $50. 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 Bucharest and Pretoria in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBucharest $63Pretoria $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBucharest $126Pretoria $50
Compare Hotels in Bucharest and Pretoria
Looking for a hotel in Bucharest or Pretoria? 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: Bucharest Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bucharest $26Pretoria $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bucharest
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bucharest:
- Transfert Privat București: $61
- Transfers to Danube Port: Bucharest - Navrom Tulcea: $132
- Transfer from Otopeni Airport to Bucharest: $29
- Transfer from Bucharest to Brasov - Hotel Pick-up: $176
- Transfer from Bucharest to Brasov: $165
- Transfer Bucharest to/from Giurgiu Cruise Port: $142
- Transfer Bucharest Otopeni Airport (OTP) to/from Brasov: $247
- Transfer Bucharest Airport to Brasov: $290
- Transfer Airport Otopeni - Bucharest: $44
- Transfer Aeroport Otopeni: $65
- Transfer & Access for 4.5-Hour at Therme Bucuresti: $59
- Therme Spa Ticket with Transfer - Galaxy and Palm Areas : $87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $27
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $89
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Bucharest or Pretoria?
Prices for flights to both Pretoria and Bucharest 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 dayBucharest $59Pretoria $15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bucharest
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bucharest.
- Dinner at the Museum of Communism - Traditional Food Tour: $54
- Bohemian Bucharest Markets and Mahallas Traditional Food Tour: $60
- Bucharest Evening Tour and Traditional Dinner: $64
- Cooking Class traditional food: $66
- Street Food Tour with a Local Guide: $74
- Bucharest Evening Tour and Traditional Dinner - 3 hours: $87
- Private Walking Food Tour - Culture, History & Traditions: $99
- Discover Private Highlights and Traditional Food Tour: $109
- Private Bucharest Food Tour with a Local Foodie: $116
- Historical and Cultural Tour with Romanian Cuisine dinner: $142
- 4-Hour Walking Food Tour in the Old Town: $203
- Bucharest City Tour & Traditional Home-made Cooking Experience: $229
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bucharest $15Pretoria $14
Tours and Activities in Bucharest
Here are a few actual costs in Bucharest for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Bears Sanctuary, Dracula's Castle, Brasov Day Trip Private Tour from Bucharest: $251
- Bucharest Panoramic Sightseeing - Private City Tour: $93
- Transylvania Heritage Tour at Peles Bran and Cantacuzino Castles: $93
- 1 Day 4x4 Tour in Carpathian Mountains: $174
- 1 Day ATV Tour in Carpathian Mountains: $208
- 10h Bucharest City Tour & Snagov Monastery (Dracula's Grave): $260
- 14 Days Private Tour in Romania, Moldova & Transnistria: $4,761
- 2 Days Private Tour - The Romanian Caves from Bucharest: $563
- 2 Hour Photoshoot Experience Near Bucharest Architectural Charms: $99
- 2 Hours Private Walking Tour in Bucharest City: $88
- 2-Day Medieval Transylvania with Brasov,Sibiu and Sighisoara Tour from Bucharest: $252
- 2-Day Small-Group Tour to Dracula's Castle, Rasnov Fortress, Peles Castle, Sighisoara and Libearty Brown Bear Sanctuary with Overnight in Brasov: $204
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- History Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $40
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Soweto and Johannesburg Tours: $55
- Soweto Township Tour from Johannesburg - Friday Special: $58
- Soweto & Johannesburg - walking, Bike , E-scooter, Tuk Tuk Tour : $58
- Pretoria Tour-Voortrekker Monument, Town, Union Buildings: $59
- Cullinan Diamond Mine Surface Guided Tour from Pretoria, every MONDAY: $61
- Soweto Pub-Crawl Tour: $61
- Taste of Africa Food tasting Experience & Optional Beer Tasting: $61
- Johannesburg exploration tour(Jo-burg/Soweto & Apartheid museum): $66
- Private Johannesburg and Soweto with Apartheid museum tour: $69
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBucharest $9.28Pretoria $31
Sample the Local Flavors in Bucharest
Also in Bucharest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Weekend Pub Crawl: $24
- Bucharest Pub Crawl in the Old Town: $25
- From Romanian Wine Tasting Tour: $26
- Bachelors Party in Custom Bar Crawl: $38
- Private Bar Crawling in Bucharest Old City: $43
- Private Wine Tasting Experience: $43
- Pub Crawl in the Old CIty and Rooftop Hopping in Bucharest: $47
- Private Romanian Wine Tasting in Urlați: $52
- Guided Pub Crawl in Bucharest: $56
- Bucharest Old Town Pub and Bar Crawl with Guide: $57
- Bucharest VIP Bar Crawl in Lipscani 'Old Town': $59
- Bucharest City Tour and Wine Tasting: $85
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bucharest and Pretoria, we can see that Bucharest is more expensive. And not only is Pretoria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Bucharest is in Europe and Pretoria 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 Pretoria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pretoria 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 Bucharest would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bucharest than you might in Pretoria.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bucharest Expensive? and Is Pretoria Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bucharest or Pretoria?
Bucharest has a larger population, and is about 16% larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Bucharest and Pretoria, 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.