Which place is cheaper, San Francisco or Cape Town?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cape Town or San Francisco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cape Town or San Francisco? 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 San Francisco?
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.
San Francisco
San Francisco is a beautiful city that is famous for it's picturesque neighborhoods, liberal character, and stunning location on the bay. Some people describe San Francisco as the United State's most "European City." This title most likely comes from its compact development and its easy walkability. It also has no shortage of parks and public spaces where you can pass some time. The city sits on the end of a peninsula and offers stunning views of the blue bay, rolling green hills, and the striking Golden Gate Bridge.
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 Wildlife Tours to United States of America, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCape Town $98San Francisco $222
The average daily cost (per person) in Cape Town is $98, while the average daily cost in San Francisco is $222. 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 San Francisco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCape Town $39San Francisco $130
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCape Town $78San Francisco $260
Compare Hotels in Cape Town and San Francisco
Looking for a hotel in Cape Town or San Francisco? 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 San Francisco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cape Town $17San Francisco $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From 3-Day Safari and Coastal Tour with Transfer: $508
- From Group Transfer Only to Aquilla Game Reserve: $459
- Big 5 Aquila Safari Private Transfer with Park Fee From Cape Town: $300
- Jeep Dune Adventure Tour, Sandboarding & Transfer: $279
- Shark Cage Diving & Penguins Tour to Gansbaai with private transfers: $274
- Cape Town Morning or Afternoon Safari including private transfer: $254
- Aquila Safari Game Drive, Lunch & Shared Transfers from Cape Town: $252
- Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $250
- Pvt Airport to Hout Bay Transfer: $243
- Full Day Private Chauffeur and Transfer Services in Cape Town: $240
- 1 Day Helderberg Valley Winelands Tour with Private Transfers: $232
- Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Including Cape Town Transfers): $230
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Francisco
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:
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Taxi to SFO$45
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Golden Gate Bridge Toll$6.00
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Alcatraz Tour$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco
Also for San Francisco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco HTL-APT (SFO): $119
- Transfer in private vehicle from San Francisco Airport to City: $35
- Sedan Airport Transfer from Vallejo to SFO (one way): $259
- Sedan Airport Transfer from SFO to East Bay (one way): $262
- SFO Airport Private Transfer to Downtown: $120
- San Francisco to/from Yosemite National Park: 1-Way Transfer: $169
- San Francisco to Yosemite One-Way Transfer: $169
- San Francisco to San Francisco Airport (SFO) - Departure Private Transfer: $110
- San Francisco Airport 1-Way Transfer to/from the City: $150
- San Francisco Airport (SFO): Transfer to San Francisco: $346
- San Francisco Airport (SFO): Transfer to Cruise Terminal: $561
- San Francisco Airport (SFO) to San Francisco - Arrival Private Transfer: $110
Is it cheaper to fly into Cape Town or San Francisco?
Prices for flights to both San Francisco 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 $42San Francisco $46
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 San Francisco
For San Francisco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
- North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour: $79
- Buffet Lunch or Dinner Cruise on the Bay: $82
- Secret Food Tours San Francisco: $84
- Mission District Food Tour with Tastings: $85
- Farmers' Market & Ferry Building Food Tour: $87
- Mission District Walking Food Tour: $89
- Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco North Beach Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco North Beach and Chinatown - Secret Food Tours: $89
- San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cape Town $23San Francisco $46
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 San Francisco
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.
- 2hr - SUNSET Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay: $149
- Private Walking Tour in Muir Woods and Tickets : $20
- "Summer of Love" tour in Haight-Ashbury in French: $63
- 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour: $73
- 2-Hour Double Decker City Tour of San Francisco: $73
- 2HR Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Loop GoCar Tour: $172
- 2hr - INTERACTIVE Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay: $149
- 2hr - INTERACTIVE Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay: $149
- 2hr - SUNSET Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay: $149
- 2hr PRIVATE Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay 6 Guests: $695
- 3 in 1 Tour: Muir Woods, Sausalito & Half Day Wine Country Visit: $189
- 3-Hour Private Group San Francisco Open Top Jeep Tour: $249
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Museums in San Francisco, The Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco, and Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day.
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCape Town $21San Francisco $22
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 San Francisco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:
- Chinatown San Francisco’s Bar Crawl: An Audio Tour: $4.99
- SF Pub Crawl and Clubbing Experience: $27
- San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $35
- Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- 2 to 3 Hour Bar Crawl in Castro San Francisco: $49
- Wine Tasting on the Bay: $85
- Private Wine Tour Napa or Sonoma from $99 per person up to 7 & Concierge Service: $99
- Small Group: The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $109
- Big Bus Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tour: $125
- Half-Day Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings: $126
- From The Ultimate Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour: $139
- The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $139
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cape Town and San Francisco, we can see that San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Francisco 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 San Francisco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cape Town or San Francisco?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of San Francisco. When comparing the sizes of Cape Town and San Francisco, 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 San Francisco?
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 San Francisco has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Cape Town or San Francisco in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Cape Town and San Francisco. Also, many visitors come to San Francisco in the summer for the beaches, the hiking, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Cape Town is a little warmer than San Francisco. Typically, the summer temperatures in Cape Town in January average around 21°C (70°F), and San Francisco averages at about 63°F (17°C)in July.
In January, Cape Town usually receives more rain than San Franciscoin July. Cape Town gets 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 0.1 inches (2 mm) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures January and JulyCape Town 21°C (70°F)San Francisco 63°F (17°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or San Francisco in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Cape Town as well as San Francisco. Also, most visitors come to San Francisco for the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area during these months.
In April, Cape Town is generally around the same temperature as San Franciscoin October. Daily temperatures in Cape Town average around 18°C (64°F), and San Francisco fluctuates around 63°F (17°C).
Cape Town usually gets more rain in April than San Franciscoin October. Cape Town gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 1.3 inches (33 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures April and OctoberCape Town 18°C (64°F)San Francisco 63°F (17°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or San Francisco in the Winter?
Both San Francisco and Cape Town are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. Also, the winter months attract visitors to San Francisco because of the museums, the shopping scene, the theater shows, and the cuisine.
Cape Town is a little warmer than San Francisco in the winter. The daily temperature in Cape Town averages around 13°C (55°F) in July, and San Francisco fluctuates around 50°F (10°C)in January.
In July, Cape Town usually receives less rain than San Franciscoin January. Cape Town gets 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 3.8 inches (96 mm) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures July and JanuaryCape Town 13°C (55°F)San Francisco 50°F (10°C)
Should I visit Cape Town or San Francisco in the Spring?
Both San Francisco and Cape Town during the spring are popular places to visit. Furthermore, the beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty are the main draw to San Francisco this time of year.
In the spring, Cape Town is a little warmer than San Francisco. Typically, the spring temperatures in Cape Town in October average around 16°C (61°F), and San Francisco averages at about 58°F (14°C)in April.
Cape Town usually gets around the same amount of rain in October as San Franciscoin April. Cape Town gets 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 1.2 inches (31 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures October and AprilCape Town 16°C (61°F)San Francisco 58°F (14°C)
Typical Weather for San Francisco and Cape Town
| Cape Town | San Francisco | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) | 50°F (10°C) | 3.8 inches (96 mm) |
| Feb | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 54°F (12°C) | 2.7 inches (69 mm) |
| Mar | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) | 56°F (13°C) | 2.7 inches (69 mm) |
| Apr | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 58°F (14°C) | 1.2 inches (31 mm) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) | 60°F (15°C) | 0.2 inches (5 mm) |
| Jun | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) | 62°F (17°C) | 0.1 inches (3 mm) |
| Jul | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.1 inches (2 mm) |
| Aug | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.1 inches (1 mm) |
| Sep | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 66°F (19°C) | 0.3 inches (7 mm) |
| Oct | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.3 inches (33 mm) |
| Nov | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 2.8 inches (71 mm) |
| Dec | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) | 51°F (11°C) | 2.7 inches (68 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.