A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Dahab vs. Johannesburg for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Dahab or Johannesburg?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Dahab and Johannesburg can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Dahab or Johannesburg?

Dahab

Dahab is a small town on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It is located about 85 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh and sits on the Gulf of Aqaba. It's a popular destination with divers and backpackers alike, and offers some of the best snorkeling and diving that you'll find in the Red Sea. It's a great alternative to the resort driven Sharm el-Sheikh, and is popular with independent travelers who are looking for affordable accommodation. There are some upmarket options however, predominantly in the Laguna area, but budget facilities are not hard to find.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Luxury Tours to South Africa, and The Best Budget Tours to South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Dahab?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Dahab is $16, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $104. 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 Dahab and Johannesburg in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dahab $5.72
    Johannesburg $53
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dahab $11
    Johannesburg $106
Compare Hotels in Dahab and Johannesburg

Looking for a hotel in Dahab or Johannesburg? 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.

Hotels in Dahab


Hotels in Johannesburg


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: Dahab Hotel Prices and Johannesburg Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dahab $1.80
    Johannesburg $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dahab

Also for Dahab, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Sharm el-Sheikh: 1-Way or Round-Trip Transfer to Dahab: $42
  • Dahab To/from Sharm El Sheikh Private Transfer : $45
  • Private Transfer From Dahab To Taba border group from 1 to 4: $90
  • Private Pickup Transfers from Dahab to Taba: $120

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:


  • Taxi Ride
    $3.14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:

  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Johannesburg APT-HTL (JNB): $38
  • Tour operator. airport and hotels transfers chauffeur and safari tours services.: $30
  • Suncity Transfer: $191
  • South Africa Airport Transfer, Johannesburg Guided day Tour: $131
  • Shuttle Transfer From Tambo Airport To Kruger National Park: $54
  • Private executive transfer to sun city or airport/hotels : $118
  • Private Transfer, Airports to Cradle of Humankind & Muldersdrift : $145
  • Private Transfer in Johannesburg OR Tambo and Lanseria: $22
  • Private Transfer from Johannesburg O.R.Tambo Airport(JNB) to Johannesburg hotels: $110
  • Private Transfer Johannesburg Pretoria or SunCity to JNB Airport by Business Car: $71
  • Private Transfer JNB Airport to Johannesburg Pretoria or SunCity by Business Car: $73
  • Private Land Rover transfer to Sun City from Johannesburg and PTA: $194

Is it cheaper to fly into Dahab or Johannesburg?

Prices for flights to both Johannesburg and Dahab 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Dahab $7.84
    Johannesburg $28
Typical Food Prices in Dahab

For Dahab, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Seafood Dinner (for 2)
    $1.88
  • Juice
    $0.10
  • Breakfast for Two
    $0.59

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dahab

For Dahab, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Bedouin Dinner in the Mountains In Dahab: $36
  • Dahab Desert Safari and Bedouin Dinner: $95

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.

  • Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $50
  • Unique street food tour from at least 6 different cultures!: $50
  • Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $77
  • Zulu Food Cooking & Dining Experience with a local Chef: $79
  • Zulu Food Cooking and Dining Experience with a local Chef: $81
  • A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
  • Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $98
  • Lesedi Cultural Village with lunch or dinner cultural food: $123

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dahab $4.32
    Johannesburg $20

Tours and Activities in Dahab

For Dahab, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Jeep Safari to Canyon Salama Day Tour from Dahab: $19
  • Mount Sinai Hike and St Catherine Monastery Tour from Dahab: $20
  • Dahab's Kept Secrets 5 Adventures in 1 Tour: $25
  • Blue Hole Snorkeling Tour with lunch from Dahab: $28
  • Full-Day Hike Tour at St. Catherine's Monastery: $30
  • Royal seascope Semi-Submarine Cruise: $33
  • Royal Seascope Submarine Guided Boat Tour : $37
  • luxury Snorkeling cruise with buffet lunch: $41
  • Seascope Submarine Tour from Dahab: $45
  • Camel Ride + Blue Hole Snorkeling + Quad Bike Tour With Lunch From Dahab: $49
  • Adventure Quad Biking Tour in Dahab: $50
  • Mount Sinai Sunrise and St Catherine Monastery Tour from Dahab: $50

Tours and Activities in Johannesburg

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:

  • Golf Tour, Sun City , Gary Player Course - Rated the Best: $224
  • Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $120
  • Private Full Day Johannesburg apartheid museum and Soweto Tour : $109
  • Soweto Private half day tour: $74
  • (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $52
  • 1 Day Pilanesberg Safari with Tour Guide: $271
  • 2 Days Kruger Fly-in Big 5 Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $991
  • 2-Day Kruger National Park Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $931
  • 2-Day Kruger Overland Big 5 Safari Tour: $838
  • 3 Day Kruger Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $930
  • 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $822
  • 4 Day Kruger Fly in Big 5 Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $1,448

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dahab $2.47
    Johannesburg $4.58

Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:

  • Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $8.20
  • Wine Tasting: $11


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dahab and Johannesburg, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Dahab much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Dahab would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Dahab 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 Johannesburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johannesburg than you might in Dahab.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Dahab Expensive? and Is Johannesburg Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Dahab or Johannesburg?

Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 250 times larger than the population of Dahab. When comparing the sizes of Dahab and Johannesburg, 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.