Which place is cheaper, Nashville or Cape Town?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cape Town or Nashville?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cape Town or Nashville? 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 Nashville?
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.
Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee, known as Music City USA and home to the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, is waiting for vacationers and tourists. Even though musical attractions may be Nashville's main showcases, there are still plenty of other places and activities to check out, like hiking along shorelines, visit urban parks filled with entertainment, fishing, zoos, museums, take in shows in a variety of venues and so much more. Nashville tourism is also a discount, coupon friendly town for independent travelers and families. There are also many free attractions to enable you to enjoy all that this part of God's country has to offer.
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 Cultural Tours in United States of America, and The Best Photography Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCape Town $98Nashville $172
The average daily cost (per person) in Cape Town is $98, while the average daily cost in Nashville is $172. 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 Nashville in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCape Town $39Nashville $99
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCape Town $78Nashville $198
Compare Hotels in Cape Town and Nashville
Looking for a hotel in Cape Town or Nashville? 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 Nashville Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cape Town $17Nashville $21
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nashville
Also for Nashville, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private transfer to Nashville Airport and Hotel: $128
- Nashville accomodation to Nashville Airport (BNA) - Departure Private Transfer: $66
- Nashville Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Nashville: $111
- Airport to Hotel Private Transfer: $125
Is it cheaper to fly into Cape Town or Nashville?
Prices for flights to both Nashville 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 $42Nashville $41
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nashville
For Nashville, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Nashville Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $70
- Neighborhood Food Tour on E-bikes: $79
- The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Show - Franklin, TN: $94
- The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Nashville, TN: $94
- Nashville Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $99
- General Jackson Showboat Lunch or Dinner Cruise in Nashville: $113
- General Jackson Showboat Dinner Cruise: $138
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cape Town $23Nashville $27
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
Tours and Activities in Nashville
For Nashville, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Franklin Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour with Live Narration: $39
- Nashville Ghosts: Hauntings of Music City Tour By Junket: $30
- 1 Hour Nashville Insider Photoshoot Tour in the Gulch: $79
- 2 Hour Narrated Sightseeing Tractor Tour of Nashville: $59
- 2-Hour Guided E-Bicycle Sightseeing Tour of Nashville: $117
- 90-Minute Monster Truck Joyride City Tour of Nashville: $53
- Adventureworks Ziplines at Nashville West: $61
- Amazing Nashville Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $44
- Beer, Bourbon & BBQ: Nashville Adventure: $189
- Best of Nashville City Sightseeing Tour on Double Decker Bus: $40
- Big E’s Bronco Tours - Nashville Music History and Cultural Tour: $45
- Civil Rights Tour Of Nashville: $156
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCape Town $21Nashville $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 Nashville
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Nashville:
- Nashville's Annual New Year's Eve Pub Crawl: $25
- Nashville's Annual Crawl-O-Ween Pub Crawl: $25
- Nashville's Annual Saint Patrick's Day Pub Crawl: $25
- Music City Pub Crawl: $25
- Belle Meade Guided Mansion Tour with Complimentary Wine Tasting: $29
- Seeking Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Nashville Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Nashville's Honky-Tonk Walking Sightseeing Pub Crawl: $31
- Drinkers & Thinkers Pub Crawl: $33
- Nashville's Lost Spirits: Murder and True Crime Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- Nashville Lost Spirits: Murder True Crime Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- Nashville Drinkers & Thinkers Pub Crawl: $35
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cape Town and Nashville, we can see that Nashville 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 Nashville 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 Nashville would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Nashville 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 Nashville Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cape Town or Nashville?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Nashville. When comparing the sizes of Cape Town and Nashville, 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 Nashville?
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 Nashville has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Cape Town or Nashville in the Summer?
Both Nashville and Cape Town are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Also, most visitors come to Nashville for the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In January, Cape Town is generally cooler than Nashvillein July. Daily temperatures in Cape Town average around 21°C (70°F), and Nashville fluctuates around 81°F (27°C).
It's quite sunny in Nashville. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. Cape Town usually receives more sunshine than Nashville during summer. Cape Town gets 338 hours of sunny skies, while Nashville receives 276 hours of full sun in the summer.
In January, Cape Town usually receives less rain than Nashvillein July. Cape Town gets 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Nashville receives 3.9 inches (99 mm) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyCape Town 21°C (70°F)Nashville 81°F (27°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or Nashville in the Autumn?
Both Nashville and Cape Town during the autumn are popular places to visit. Furthermore, the autumn months attract visitors to Nashville because of the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the music scene.
Cape Town is around the same temperature as Nashville in the autumn. The daily temperature in Cape Town averages around 18°C (64°F) in April, and Nashville fluctuates around 62°F (17°C)in October.
In Nashville, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Cape Town. In the autumn, Cape Town often gets more sunshine than Nashvillein October. Cape Town gets 233 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Nashville receives 212 hours of full sun.
Cape Town usually gets less rain in April than Nashvillein October. Cape Town gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Nashville receives 2.6 inches (67 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberCape Town 18°C (64°F)Nashville 62°F (17°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or Nashville in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Cape Town and Nashville. Furthermore, the museums, the Christmas ambience, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Nashville this time of year.
It's quite cold in Nashville in the winter. In the winter, Cape Town is much warmer than Nashville. Typically, the winter temperatures in Cape Town in July average around 13°C (55°F), and Nashville averages at about 38°F (4°C)in January.
Cape Town usually receives more sunshine than Nashville during winter. Cape Town gets 193 hours of sunny skies, while Nashville receives 134 hours of full sun in the winter.
In July, Cape Town usually receives around the same amount of rain as Nashvillein January. Cape Town gets 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Nashville receives 3.4 inches (87 mm) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryCape Town 13°C (55°F)Nashville 38°F (4°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or Nashville in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Cape Town as well as Nashville. Additionally, many travelers come to Nashville for the activities around the city.
In October, Cape Town is generally around the same temperature as Nashvillein April. Daily temperatures in Cape Town average around 16°C (61°F), and Nashville fluctuates around 62°F (16°C).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Nashville. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In the spring, Cape Town often gets more sunshine than Nashvillein April. Cape Town gets 278 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Nashville receives 234 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Nashville. Cape Town usually gets less rain in October than Nashvillein April. Cape Town gets 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Nashville receives 4.3 inches (110 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilCape Town 16°C (61°F)Nashville 62°F (16°C)
Typical Weather for Nashville and Cape Town
| Cape Town | Nashville | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 38°F (4°C) | 3.4 inches (87 mm) |
| Feb | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 42°F (6°C) | 3.8 inches (96 mm) |
| Mar | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) | 52°F (11°C) | 4.8 inches (123 mm) |
| Apr | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 62°F (16°C) | 4.3 inches (110 mm) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) | 70°F (21°C) | 4.8 inches (123 mm) |
| Jun | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) | 78°F (25°C) | 3.6 inches (92 mm) |
| Jul | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 81°F (27°C) | 3.9 inches (99 mm) |
| Aug | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 80°F (27°C) | 3.5 inches (89 mm) |
| Sep | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 74°F (23°C) | 3.6 inches (92 mm) |
| Oct | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 62°F (17°C) | 2.6 inches (67 mm) |
| Nov | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 52°F (11°C) | 4.1 inches (105 mm) |
| Dec | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) | 43°F (6°C) | 4.6 inches (117 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.