Which place is cheaper, Los Angeles or Cape Town?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cape Town or Los Angeles?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cape Town or Los Angeles? 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 Los Angeles?
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.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California is probably one of the most well known cities in the United States. It is the second most populated metro area in the country with more than 17 million people. The city's diversity is wide reaching, giving it a character that is unique from any other place in the country. LA has many world famous sights and neighborhoods including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica, but there is really so much more to this city.
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 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCape Town $98Los Angeles $258
The average daily cost (per person) in Cape Town is $98, while the average daily cost in Los Angeles is $258. 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 Los Angeles in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCape Town $39Los Angeles $140
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCape Town $78Los Angeles $280
Compare Hotels in Cape Town and Los Angeles
Looking for a hotel in Cape Town or Los Angeles? 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 Los Angeles Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cape Town $17Los Angeles $42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $250
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town HTL-APT(CPT): $44
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town APT-HTL(CPT): $44
- Transport Shuttle Transfer from Constantia to Cape Town Airport: $18
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $159
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Simonstown to Cape Town Airport: $26
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $22
- Shark Cage Diving: Full Day Tour Transfer: $97
- Shared Transfers to and from Safari Game Reserve (excluding entrance fees): $85
- Shared Transfer to Cape Agulhas - Where The Two Oceans Meet From Cape Town F/Day: $183
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Los Angeles
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Los Angeles:
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Hotel Parking for a Day$22
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Taxi to Airport$55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Los Angeles
Also for Los Angeles, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach Airport(LGB)-Departure Transfer: $66
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $121
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Los Angeles APT-HTL (LAX): $141
- San Diego Private Transfer To or From Universal Studios/Burbank.: $248
- Roundtrip transfer in private car Los Angeles Airport (LAX)-Los Angeles Downtown: $100
- RoundTrip private transfer from Los Angeles airportLAX to Anaheim: $133
- Private transfer from Los Angeles airport LAX to Anheim: $67
- Private Transfers between LAX Airport and Los Angeles: $519
- Private Transfers between LAX Airport and LA City Center: $97
- Private Transfer: Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to LA City Center: $26
- Private Transfer: Los Angeles (LAX) to/from Anaheim Resort Area: $123
- Private Transfer: LAX Airport and Universal Studio Hollywood: $124
Is it cheaper to fly into Cape Town or Los Angeles?
Prices for flights to both Los Angeles 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 $42Los Angeles $60
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
Typical Food Prices in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Mexican Dinner (family of 4)$32
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Burritos for Two$15
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Coffee and Danish$7.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Venice Beach Food Tour with Tastings: $75
- Santa Monica Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $82
- 3-Hour Secret Food Tour: $88
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- West Hollywood Food Tour: $89
- Venice Beach LA Food Tour: $89
- Downtown Food Tour: $89
- Venice Beach Food Tour: $89
- LA Venice Beach Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $99
- Original Downtown Los Angeles Walking Food Tour with Six Taste: $110
- Night Cruise in Marina del Rey with Dinner: $124
- Vegan African Dinner Party in Playa Del Ray: $132
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cape Town $23Los Angeles $82
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Los Angeles
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Los Angeles's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Santa Monica Pier Rides (family of 4)$37
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Bowling$13
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Hollywood Tour for Two$30
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Six Flags for 2$96
Tours and Activities in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1-Hour Private Ferrari Driving Tour: Hollywood to Beverly Hills: $289
- 2 Hour Celebrity Homes Tour: $175
- 2 Hour Griffith Park Observatory Tour: $20
- 2 Hour Private Tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills Celebrity Homes: $175
- 2-Hour Hollywood Bus Tour: $45
- 2-Hours Guided Black and Brown Hollywood Tour: $77
- 2.5 Hour Fright Sights Tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills: $219
- 2.5 Hour Private Tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills: $219
- 2.5-hour Hollywood Chills Tour - Celebrity Scandals and Cemeteries : $219
- 20 Min Ferrari driving tour in Hollywood: $99
- 20 Min Lamborghini driving tour in Hollywood: $139
- 3 Hours Private Photoshoot and Self-Guided Tour in Los Angeles: $287
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCape Town $21Los Angeles $15
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Los Angeles
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Los Angeles:
- LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $40
- Salsa Lesson, Burlesque and Mojitos : $149
- Salsa Lesson and Burlesque Show: $149
- Malibu: Vintage VW Sightseeing Tour and Wine Tasting: $195
- Wine Tour at Fess Parker Winery by Helicopter: $4,299
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cape Town and Los Angeles, we can see that Los Angeles is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cape Town is in Africa and Los Angeles is in North America, 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 Los Angeles would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Los Angeles 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 Cape Town Expensive? and Is Los Angeles Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cape Town or Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has a larger population, and is about 8% larger than the population of Cape Town. When comparing the sizes of Cape Town and Los Angeles, 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 Cape Town or Los Angeles?
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 Los Angeles has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Cape Town or Los Angeles in the Summer?
Both Los Angeles and Cape Town are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Also, the summer months attract visitors to Los Angeles because of the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Cape Town is around the same temperature as Los Angeles. Typically, the summer temperatures in Cape Town in January average around 21°C (70°F), and Los Angeles averages at about 72°F (22°C)in July.
In January, Cape Town usually receives more rain than Los Angelesin July. Cape Town gets 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Los Angeles receives 0 inches (0 mm) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyCape Town 21°C (70°F)Los Angeles 72°F (22°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or Los Angeles in the Autumn?
Both Los Angeles and Cape Town during the autumn are popular places to visit. Furthermore, the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the music scene are the main draw to Los Angeles this time of year.
In April, Cape Town is generally around the same temperature as Los Angelesin October. Daily temperatures in Cape Town average around 18°C (64°F), and Los Angeles fluctuates around 64°F (18°C).
Cape Town usually gets more rain in April than Los Angelesin October. Cape Town gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Los Angeles receives 0.6 inches (15 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberCape Town 18°C (64°F)Los Angeles 64°F (18°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or Los Angeles in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Cape Town and Los Angeles. Furthermore, many travelers come to Los Angeles for the museums, the shopping scene, the theater shows, and the cuisine.
Cape Town is around the same temperature as Los Angeles in the winter. The daily temperature in Cape Town averages around 13°C (55°F) in July, and Los Angeles fluctuates around 55°F (13°C)in January.
In July, Cape Town usually receives around the same amount of rain as Los Angelesin January. Cape Town gets 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Los Angeles receives 3.1 inches (79 mm) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryCape Town 13°C (55°F)Los Angeles 55°F (13°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or Los Angeles in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Cape Town as well as Los Angeles. Additionally, many visitors come to Los Angeles in the spring for the beaches and the activities around the city.
In the spring, Cape Town is around the same temperature as Los Angeles. Typically, the spring temperatures in Cape Town in October average around 16°C (61°F), and Los Angeles averages at about 61°F (16°C)in April.
Cape Town usually gets more rain in October than Los Angelesin April. Cape Town gets 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Los Angeles receives 1 inches (25 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilCape Town 16°C (61°F)Los Angeles 61°F (16°C)
Typical Weather for Los Angeles and Cape Town
| Cape Town | Los Angeles | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 55°F (13°C) | 3.1 inches (79 mm) |
| Feb | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 55°F (13°C) | 3 inches (76 mm) |
| Mar | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 2.8 inches (71 mm) |
| Apr | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 61°F (16°C) | 1 inches (25 mm) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.4 inches (10 mm) |
| Jun | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) | 66°F (19°C) | 0.1 inches (3 mm) |
| Jul | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 72°F (22°C) | 0 inches (0 mm) |
| Aug | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 72°F (22°C) | 0 inches (0 mm) |
| Sep | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 70°F (21°C) | 0.2 inches (5 mm) |
| Oct | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.6 inches (15 mm) |
| Nov | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.2 inches (31 mm) |
| Dec | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 2.6 inches (66 mm) |
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.