Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Florence?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Florence or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Florence or Cape Town, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Florence or Cape Town?
Florence
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and one of the most well known cities in Italy for its art and cultural scenes. The city is rooted in history and you can see this in the architecture, statues, gardens, and art that are everywhere around town. This city truly is a living museum. You should allow yourself at least a couple of days to explore Florence and if you can afford more, it is well worth the time. In particular, if art history is your passion then you will need a week or more to satisfy your interest as the museums and architecturally impressive buildings throughout the city are endless.
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 Italy, The Best Budget Tours to Italy, 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 dayFlorence €154Cape Town €91
The average daily cost (per person) in Florence is €154, 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 Florence and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFlorence €87Cape Town €36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFlorence €174Cape Town €72
Compare Hotels in Florence and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Florence 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: Florence Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Florence €22Cape Town €16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Florence
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Florence:
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Taxi Ride Within City€8.00
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Taxi from Airport€25
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In City Parking (Full Day)€30
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Bus Pass (Full Day)€5.00
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Bus From Airport€5.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florence
Also for Florence, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer Florence - Siena with visit to Chianti and wine tasting: $219
- Transfer Florence - Bologna with stop at the Barberino Outlet: $142
- Transfer Between Florence and Rome with Sightseeing Stop: $1,184
- Private transfer Hotel Florence / Florence Airport: $131
- Private transfer Florence Airport / Hotel Florence: $131
- Private transfer: $257
- Private arrival OR departure transfer in Florence (hotel OR airport pick-up): $85
- Private arrival OR departure transfer in Florence: $115
- Private Transfer: Florence to Florence Firenze-Peretola Airport (FLR): $153
- Private Transfer: Florence City Center to Peretola Airport (FLR): $64
- Private Transfer from Tavarnelle Val di Pesa to Firenze (FLR) Airport: $179
- Private Transfer from Scandicci to Firenze (FLR) Airport: $110
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Florence or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Florence 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 dayFlorence €36Cape Town €39
Typical Food Prices in Florence
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Florence:
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Panini Sandwich€6.50
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Casual Lunch (for Two)€17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florence
For Florence, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe Florence with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
- Florence Street Food Tour: Market & City Center: $29
- Florence Street Food Tour, Market and City Center: $31
- Walking Food Tour at Sunset with Tastings: $33
- Virtual Live Cooking Class What Do You Have in Your Pantry: $35
- Virtual Cooking Class: Bruschetta & Tiramisù: $36
- Virtual Italian Meatballs Cooking Class, Live from Tuscany: $37
- Street Food Tour with Local Expert Guide: $41
- Street Food Tour and Sightseeing with Local Expert Guide in 2.5 hours : $41
- Florence Street Food Tour and sightseeing with Central Market: $46
- Eating Florence Street Food Tour Guided Tasting and Sightseeing: $46
- Pasta and Tiramisu Cooking Class with Wine: $59
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.Florence €30Cape Town €21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Florence
For Florence, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Admission to Uffizi€11
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Phone Booking Fee for Uffizi€4.00
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Firenze Card (for Two)€100
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Audioguides at Uffizi (for Two)€20
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Giotto's Tower Entrance Fee€6.00
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Boboli Gardens Entrance Fee€7.00
Tours and Activities in Florence
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florence.
- Accademia Gallery Skip the line Tickets : $34
- Express Early Morning Uffizi Small Group Tour I Max 6 People: $141
- Florence Duomo: VIP After-Hours Dome Tour with Terrace Access: $174
- Florence FoodTour with Local Guide: $192
- Florence-Private bike tour: $99
- Uffizi Skip-the-Line Entry & Guided Tour: $71
- Private Tour of Uffizi and Accademia Gallery with David: $228
- Semi-Private Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour: $71
- Tour Private of Florence in electric car : $42
- VIP Uffizi Gallery Tour: $75
- "Good Morning Chianti Classico" - Tour in 2 wineries with lunch: $197
- 1 Hour guided tour: Accademia Gallery and Michelangelo's David: $38
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
- Bespoke Tour : Cape Point , Table Mountain & Penguin Colony : $257
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $192
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $192
- 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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFlorence €18Cape Town €19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Florence
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Florence from other travelers:
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Glass of Chianti€4.20
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Bottle of Wine€7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Florence
Also in Florence, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting by CarusVini in San Casciano in val di Pesa: $16
- Wine Tasting Activity at Chianti Rufina: $23
- Great wine tasting at Tenuta Moriano: $25
- Wine Tasting Experience near Florence: $27
- Biodynamic Wine Tasting with Producer in Vinci: $28
- Sip, Savor, Save! Youth Wine Tasting Tour with Appitisers: $28
- Wine Tasting Experience with Three Types of Tuscan Wine: $29
- From Florence to Chianti Rufina: Wine Tasting Experience: $32
- Private Wine Tasting Experience in the heart of Tuscany: $33
- Classic Wine Tasting in Montalcino: $33
- Discover Artimino wine tasting, a few steps from Florence: $33
- Cellar Wine Tour: $33
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 Florence and Cape Town, we can see that Florence is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Florence 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 Florence would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Florence 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 Florence Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Florence or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Florence. When comparing the sizes of Florence 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 Florence 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 Florence has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Florence or Cape Town in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Florence and Cape Town. Many visitors come to Florence in the summer for the family-friendly experiences.
Florence is a little warmer than Cape Town in the summer. The daily temperature in Florence averages around 25°C (77°F) in July, and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in January.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Florence, it's very sunny this time of the year. Florence usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Town during summer. Florence gets 316 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Florence usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Florence gets 31 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryFlorence 25°C (77°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Florence or Cape Town in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Florence as well as Cape Town. Most visitors come to Florence for the shopping scene and the natural beauty of the area during these months.
In the autumn, Florence is cooler than Cape Town. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Florence in October average around 16°C (61°F), and Cape Town averages at about 18°C (64°F)in April.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. In the autumn, Florence often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Florence gets 177 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
Florence usually gets more rain in October than Cape Townin April. Florence gets 96 mm (3.8 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilFlorence 16°C (61°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Florence or Cape Town in the Winter?
Both Cape Town and Florence are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The winter months attract visitors to Florence because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In January, Florence is generally much colder than Cape Townin July. Daily temperatures in Florence average around 7°C (45°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F).
Florence usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Florence gets 105 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Florence usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Florence gets 63 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyFlorence 7°C (45°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Florence or Cape Town in the Spring?
Both Cape Town and Florence during the spring are popular places to visit. The natural beauty are the main draw to Florence this time of year.
Florence is cooler than Cape Town in the spring. The daily temperature in Florence averages around 14°C (57°F) in April, and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F)in October.
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the spring, Florence often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Florence gets 192 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Florence usually gets more rain in April than Cape Townin October. Florence gets 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberFlorence 14°C (57°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Florence
| Florence | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 7°C (45°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 8°C (46°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 10°C (50°F) | 69 mm (2.7 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (57°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 18°C (64°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 22°C (72°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 25°C (77°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 21°C (70°F) | 76 mm (3 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 16°C (61°F) | 96 mm (3.8 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 11°C (52°F) | 102 mm (4 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 8°C (46°F) | 72 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.