Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Cologne?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cologne or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cologne or Cape Town? 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: Cologne or Cape Town?
Cologne
Spanning the Rhine River in western Germany, the city of Cologne dates back 2,000 years, once existing as the largest city of the Holy Roman Empire in medieval times. Today, it is the region's cultural hub - a center of museums, galleries, and towering Gothic cathedrals.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Germany, The Best Budget Tours to Germany, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCologne €161Cape Town €91
The average daily cost (per person) in Cologne is €161, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is €91. 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 Cologne and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCologne €91Cape Town €36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCologne €182Cape Town €72
Compare Hotels in Cologne and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Cologne or Cape Town? 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: Cologne Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cologne €19Cape Town €16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cologne
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cologne:
- Transfer from Cologne Airport CGN to Cologne City by Luxury Car: $83
- Superior Private Transfer from Cologne City to Dortmund City: $64
- Cologne hotels to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) - Departure Private Transfer: $49
- Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Cologne hotels - Round-trip Private Transfer : $98
- Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $110
- Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Camps Bay Cape Town: $18
- Airport transfers: $22
- 1 Day Durbanville Valley Wine Tasting Tour with Private Transfers: $178
- 1 Day Explore Cape Town Like a Local with Private Guided Transfer: $149
- 1 Day Helderberg Valley Winelands Tour with Private Transfers: $232
- 1 Day Hemel en Aarde Whale Coast Wine Tour with Private Transfers: $205
- 1 Day Tastes of Stellenbosch Wine Tour with Private Transfers: $220
- 1 Day West Coast Wonders Tour with Private Transfers: $177
- 1 Day Wine Lover Wander Connoisseur Tour with Private Transfers: $180
- 1-3 Passenger Private Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $54
- 1.Cape Town Airport Transfer (&Private tour trips during yo Stay): $17
- AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Cologne or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Cologne 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 dayCologne €50Cape Town €39
Typical Food Prices in Cologne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cologne:
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Dinner€14
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Donner Kebab€4.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cologne
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cologne.
- Hard Rock Café with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
- Hard Rock Cafe Cologne With Set Lunch or Dinner: $29
- Köln Südstadt kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
- 3-Hour Südstadt Food Tour: $484
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cologne €20Cape Town €21
Tours and Activities in Cologne
Here are a few actual costs in Cologne for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 120min - Cologne City Tour: $158
- 3-Hour Cologne Street Art Bike Tour in Small Group with Guide: $44
- 3-Hour Murder Mystery Interactive City Walking Tour in Köln: $75
- 5 Hours Cologne to Aachen Train Tour in Germany: $63
- Aachen City Hall tour (public): $20
- Aachen Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide: $231
- Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.55
- Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Self Guided Walking Tour on your Phone: $7.63
- Aachen old town tour - GERMAN (public): $13
- Amusing Stories of Cologne Walking Tour: $13
- Ancient Echoes: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Roman Cologne: $11
- Awesome Sites of Cologne – Private Family Walking Tour: $397
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $2.99
- District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $3.24
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.60
- Kirstenbosch: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $3.99
- Cape Town 30-minute V&A Harbour Cruise: $4.15
- Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $4.15
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.35
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.35
- Meandering through Mouille Point: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.99
- V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise: $5.00
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCologne €23Cape Town €19
Sample the Local Flavors in Cologne
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cologne:
- Public brewery tour in German in Cologne: $18
- Old Town Walking Tour with Brewery and Kölsch Beer: $18
- Guided tour of the old town with a visit to the brewery in Cologne: $19
- Old Town Walking Tour inkl Brewery Visit: $24
- Entertaining Brewery Tour: Feel Good Package including local beer: $27
- South Cologne Walking Tour with brewery visit: $27
- Pub Crawl Cologne Including Admission Fee for Bars and Shots: $27
- Brewery Tour with 3 Kölsch Beer Tastings: $30
- Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting and Halven Hahn: $31
- The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $32
- The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $33
- Cologne-Nippes: Gourmet wine tasting with cheese platter: $64
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cologne and Cape Town, we can see that Cologne is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cologne is in Europe and Cape Town is in Africa, 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 Cologne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cologne 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 Cologne Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cologne or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Cologne. When comparing the sizes of Cologne and Cape Town, 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 Cologne or Cape Town?
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 Cologne has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Cologne or Cape Town in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Cologne as well as Cape Town. The summer months attract visitors to Cologne because of the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.
In July, Cologne is generally cooler than Cape Townin January. Daily temperatures in Cologne average around 19°C (66°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. In the summer, Cologne often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin January. Cologne gets 184 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun.
Cologne usually gets more rain in July than Cape Townin January. Cologne gets 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryCologne 19°C (66°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Cologne or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Cologne are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Cologne this time of year.
Cologne is cooler than Cape Town in the autumn. The daily temperature in Cologne averages around 12°C (54°F) in October, and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F)in April.
It's quite sunny in Cape Town. Cologne usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during autumn. Cologne gets 104 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Cologne usually receives more rain than Cape Townin April. Cologne gets 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilCologne 12°C (54°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Cologne or Cape Town in the Winter?
Both Cape Town and Cologne during the winter are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Cologne for the museums, the Christmas ambience, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Cologne. In the winter, Cologne is much colder than Cape Town. Typically, the winter temperatures in Cologne in January average around 3°C (37°F), and Cape Town averages at about 13°C (55°F)in July.
In the winter, Cologne often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin July. Cologne gets 43 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun.
Cologne usually gets less rain in January than Cape Townin July. Cologne gets 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyCologne 3°C (37°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Cologne or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Cologne and Cape Town. Many visitors come to Cologne in the spring for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
In April, Cologne is generally much colder than Cape Townin October. Daily temperatures in Cologne average around 10°C (50°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. Cologne usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during spring. Cologne gets 152 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Cologne usually receives more rain than Cape Townin October. Cologne gets 55 mm (2.2 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberCologne 10°C (50°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Cologne
| Cologne | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 3°C (37°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 4°C (39°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 7°C (44°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 10°C (50°F) | 55 mm (2.2 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 14°C (58°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 17°C (63°F) | 76 mm (3 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 19°C (66°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 19°C (66°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 16°C (61°F) | 62 mm (2.5 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 12°C (54°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 7°C (45°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 4°C (39°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 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.