Which place is cheaper, Ottawa or Cape Town?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cape Town or Ottawa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cape Town or Ottawa? 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 Ottawa?
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.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, located on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River. A city of many ethnic populations, Ottawa is uniquely bilingual with English as the first language of the population's majority and French as a close second. It is best known as the nation's capital, which is centered on Parliament Hill, an architectural landmark as well as the seat of government.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Canada, and The Best Coach Bus Tours in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCape Town $98Ottawa $123
The average daily cost (per person) in Cape Town is $98, while the average daily cost in Ottawa is $123. 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 Ottawa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCape Town $39Ottawa $18
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCape Town $78Ottawa $36
Compare Hotels in Cape Town and Ottawa
Looking for a hotel in Cape Town or Ottawa? 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 Ottawa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cape Town $17Ottawa $7.27
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
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $160
- 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
- Robben Island tour Return transfers PLUS famous stops before or after tour: $163
- Robben Island and Long Walk to Freedom with Ticket &Transfer: $92
- Private Transfer: Cape Town to International Airport (CPT): $47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ottawa
Also for Ottawa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Ottawa Airport (YOW) to Ottawa City: $66
- Private Arrival Transfer in Ottawa Airport : $52
- Private Arrival Transfer from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport YOW: $40
- Ottawa to Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier Airport (YOW) - Departure Private Transfer: $66
- Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport YOW Private Arrival/Departure Shuttle Transfer : $52
Is it cheaper to fly into Cape Town or Ottawa?
Prices for flights to both Ottawa 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 $42Ottawa $17
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:
- 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: $70
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ottawa
For Ottawa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Oh Canada Eh!? Dinner Musical : $71
- Taste of the ByWard Market Food Tour: $79
- Evening Taste of the ByWard Market Food Tour: $82
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cape Town $23Ottawa $40
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 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
- Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $166
- Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $166
- Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $114
- Private Tour Cape of Good Hope with Penguins : $155
- Private Tour to Robben Island and Cape Point in Cape Town: $121
- South African Traditional Braai (BBQ) Experience & Winetasting : $138
- ( Cape Town Private Tour ) Hermanus Whale Watching Full Day : $251
- ( Cape town ) Private Winelands Tasting Full Day Tour: $173
- ( Cape town Private Tour ) Hermanus Shark Cage Diving : $252
Tours and Activities in Ottawa
For Ottawa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2-Hour Ottawa Express City Bike Tour: $59
- A Self Guided Audio Tour of Ottawa's Hidden History: $6.99
- Best of Ottawa Neighbourhoods & Nature Bike Tour: $82
- Best of Ottawa Small Group Tour with River Cruise: $133
- Best of Ottawa Small Group Walking Tour with Boat Cruise: $85
- City Beers: Bus Tour of Ottawa Breweries: $75
- Explore Canada Through Ottawa's Eyes with Walking Tours Through The City: $6.69
- Full Day Montreal and Cruise Tour from Ottawa: $115
- Gems and Surprises – Ottawa Walking Tour: $186
- Helicopter Private Tour Over Ottawa 70KM in 20 min : $151
- Hidden Ottawa Secrets Walking Tour: $25
- Ottawa Boat Cruise - Paul's Boat Line: $36
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCape Town $21Ottawa $18
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: $7.17
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.66
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $28
- 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
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $52
Sample the Local Flavors in Ottawa
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Ottawa:
- Epic Ottawa Bar Crawl: By Let’s Roam: $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cape Town and Ottawa, we can see that Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ottawa 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 Ottawa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cape Town or Ottawa?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Ottawa. When comparing the sizes of Cape Town and Ottawa, 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 Ottawa?
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 Ottawa has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Cape Town or Ottawa in the Summer?
Both Ottawa and Cape Town are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities.
In the summer, Cape Town is around the same temperature as Ottawa. Typically, the summer temperatures in Cape Town in January average around 21°C (70°F), and Ottawa averages at about 21°C (71°F)in July.
It's quite sunny in Ottawa. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. Cape Town usually receives more sunshine than Ottawa during summer. Cape Town gets 338 hours of sunny skies, while Ottawa receives 268 hours of full sun in the summer.
In January, Cape Town usually receives less rain than Ottawain July. Cape Town gets 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Ottawa receives 87 mm (3.4 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyCape Town 21°C (70°F)Ottawa 21°C (71°F)
Should I visit Cape Town or Ottawa in the Autumn?
Both Ottawa and Cape Town during the autumn are popular places to visit.
In April, Cape Town is generally much warmer than Ottawain October. Daily temperatures in Cape Town average around 18°C (64°F), and Ottawa fluctuates around 9°C (48°F).
It's quite sunny in Cape Town. In the autumn, Cape Town often gets more sunshine than Ottawain October. Cape Town gets 233 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Ottawa receives 116 hours of full sun.
Cape Town usually gets less rain in April than Ottawain October. Cape Town gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Ottawa receives 75 mm (3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberCape Town 18°C (64°F)Ottawa 9°C (48°F)
Should I visit Cape Town or Ottawa in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Cape Town and Ottawa.
Ottawa can get quite cold in the winter. Cape Town is much warmer than Ottawa in the winter. The daily temperature in Cape Town averages around 13°C (55°F) in July, and Ottawa fluctuates around -10°C (14°F)in January.
Cape Town usually receives more sunshine than Ottawa during winter. Cape Town gets 193 hours of sunny skies, while Ottawa receives 93 hours of full sun in the winter.
In July, Cape Town usually receives more rain than Ottawain January. Cape Town gets 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Ottawa receives 51 mm (2 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryCape Town 13°C (55°F)Ottawa -10°C (14°F)
Should I visit Cape Town or Ottawa in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Cape Town as well as Ottawa.
In the spring, Cape Town is much warmer than Ottawa. Typically, the spring temperatures in Cape Town in October average around 16°C (61°F), and Ottawa averages at about 6°C (44°F)in April.
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 Ottawain April. Cape Town gets 278 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Ottawa receives 180 hours of full sun.
Cape Town usually gets less rain in October than Ottawain April. Cape Town gets 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Ottawa receives 65 mm (2.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilCape Town 16°C (61°F)Ottawa 6°C (44°F)
Typical Weather for Ottawa and Cape Town
| Cape Town | Ottawa | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | -10°C (14°F) | 51 mm (2 in) |
| Feb | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | -9°C (16°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Mar | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) | -2°C (28°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) |
| Apr | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 6°C (44°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Jun | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 84 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jul | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 21°C (71°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Aug | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) |
| Sep | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 84 mm (3.3 in) |
| Oct | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Nov | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 2°C (36°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Dec | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) | -7°C (20°F) | 73 mm (2.9 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.