Which place is cheaper, Diani or Cape Town?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cape Town or Diani?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cape Town or Diani? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Cape Town or Diani?
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.
Diani
Diani is a major beach resort town on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is located 30 kilometers south of Mombasa and the beach has been voted Africa’s leading beach destination several times. With a flawless, long stretch of white-sand beach hugged by lush forest and kissed by surfable waves, it’s no wonder Diani Beach is so popular. This resort town scores points with a diverse crowd: party people, families, honeymooners, backpackers and water-sports enthusiasts. But Diani also has some of the best accommodation in Kenya, from budget party hostels to funky kitesurfing lodges and intimate honeymoon spots. Most places are spread along the beach road, hidden behind a line of forest. When lazing in a hammock gets tiring, visit the coral mosques with their archways that overlook the open ocean, venture into the sacred forests where guides hug trees that speak in their ancestors' voices, or take in the monkey sanctuary – all are good ways to experience more of the coast than the considerable charms of sun and sand.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, and The Best Budget Tours to Kenya.
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Cape Town Prices
South Africa PricesDiani Prices
Kenya Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCape Town $179Diani $69
The average daily cost (per person) in Cape Town is $179, while the average daily cost in Diani is $69. 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 Cape Town and Diani in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCape Town $83Diani $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCape Town $166Diani $46
Compare Hotels in Cape Town and Diani
Looking for a hotel in Cape Town or Diani? 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: Cape Town Hotel Prices and Diani Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cape Town $18Diani $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- West Coast Wonders Full Day Tour with Private Transfer: $253
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town HTL-APT(CPT): $44
- Transfer from Cape Town City Center to Cape Town Airport: $18
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $147
- Township Tour by Lwafika Tours and Transfers in Cape Town: $71
- Table Mountain Tour with Round Trip Transfers: $99
- Table Mountain Tour with Cable Car Tickets and Transfers: $88
- Stellenbosch Winelands Connoisseur Day Tour with Private Transfer: $273
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $24
- Shark Diving Full Day Guided Return Transfer to Gansbaai from Cape Town: $159
- Shared Transfers to and from Safari Game Reserve (excluding entrance fees): $91
- Shared Return Transfer to Aquila Safari from Cape Town Day trip: $147
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Diani
Also for Diani, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer: Mombasa SGR Train Station to Diani Hotels: $77
- Taxi and Airport transfers: $70
Is it cheaper to fly into Cape Town or Diani?
Prices for flights to both Diani and Cape Town 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 dayCape Town $77Diani $35
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:
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $30
- Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class : $71
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $72
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $75
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $77
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Sunset At Signal Hill Constantia Wine Tasting and Dinner: $83
- Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $88
- Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
- Food Tour in “Little Mogadishu,” Bellville, Cape Town: $94
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $98
- Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $100
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Diani
For Diani, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Diani Beach: Cooking Class with a Local: $60
- Diani Beach: Sunset Dhow Cruise with Dinner: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cape Town $25Diani $15
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Days Private Guided Tour in Cape Town: $295
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $148
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $208
- Cape Agulhas, Hermanus Stony Point Penguins Colony Tour : $230
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $206
- Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, Penguins Experience: $88
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $300
- Cape Town Central wine and cheese pairing private Tour Drive : $224
- Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $33
- Cape Town, Destination for Wine and galery Lovers Private Tour: $283
- Cape Winelands From Cape Town Private Day Tour: $175
- Cape Winelands Tour to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl: $104
Tours and Activities in Diani
For Diani, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 day Shimba Hills Tour: $167
- Diani Beach: Glass Boat Cruise to Robinson Island: $42
- Diani Beach: Glass Bottom Boat, Snorkeling & Sun Bank Tour: $60
- Diani Beach: Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise to Robinson Island: $28
- Diani Beach: Italian-Swahili Fusion Dining Experience: $41
- Diani Beach: Kaya Kinondo cultural and nature experience: $30
- Diani Beach: Kongo River Estuary Sundowner Boat Tour: $42
- Diani Beach: Kongo River Sunset Experience in a canoe: $32
- Diani Beach: Private African Pool Map Guided Tour: $35
- Diani Beach: Village tour on a bike with hotel pick-up: $64
- Diani bush tour: $75
- Dirt Bike Tour, Rukinga Conservation, Wildlife & Hike: $1,705
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCape Town $22Diani $8.84
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:
- Stellenbosch Small Group Wine Tasting Tour From Cape Town: $2.65
- Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $12
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
- Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $14
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $26
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $28
- Urban Wine Tasting: $30
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $30
- Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $31
- Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Babylonstoren Wine Tour: $38
- Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $46
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $47
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cape Town and Diani, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Diani much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Diani would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Diani 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 Diani.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cape Town Expensive? and Is Diani Expensive?.
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.