Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Jakarta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Jakarta or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Jakarta and Cape Town. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Jakarta or Cape Town?
Jakarta
As Indonesia's capital and largest city, Jakarta rests on the northwest coast of the island of Java. It is the country's economic, cultural, and political center with plenty of opportunities for sightseeing, nightlife, shopping, and entertainment.
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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Indonesia, The Best Adventure Tours to Indonesia, 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 dayJakarta $65Cape Town $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Jakarta is $65, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $98. 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 Jakarta and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJakarta $33Cape Town $39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJakarta $66Cape Town $78
Compare Hotels in Jakarta and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Jakarta 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: Jakarta Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Jakarta $21Cape Town $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Jakarta
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Jakarta are as follows:
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Taxi to Station$1.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jakarta
Also for Jakarta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Jakarta APT-HTL (CGK): $21
- Soekarno‑Hatta International Airport: Transfer to Jakarta: $29
- Private Transfer from West Jakarta to Jakarta Halim Airport (HLP): $32
- Private Transfer from West Jakarta to Jakarta Airport (CGK): $32
- Private Transfer from Tebet to Jakarta Halim Airport (HLP): $32
- Private Transfer from Tanah Abang to Jakarta Halim Airport (HLP): $32
- Private Transfer from Tanah Abang to Jakarta Airport (CGK): $32
- Private Transfer from Taman Sari to Jakarta Halim Airport (HLP): $32
- Private Transfer from Sunter to Jakarta Halim Airport (HLP): $32
- Private Transfer from Sumur Batu to Jakarta Halim Airport (HLP): $32
- Private Transfer from Sukaresmi Pandeglang Regency to Jakarta Airport (CGK): $169
- Private Transfer from Sukarasa Tangerang to Jakarta Halim Airport (HLP): $68
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 Jakarta or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Jakarta 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 dayJakarta $17Cape Town $42
Typical Food Prices in Jakarta
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Jakarta:
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Dinner$2.76
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Dinner$0.75
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jakarta
For Jakarta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Fun Food Tour Jakarta: $30
- Mangga Besar Food Tour: $49
- Cikini Heritage Food Tour: $49
- Jakarta Night Life Tour with highlight and food tour: $55
- Jakarta Night Tour: Guided Sightseeing & Street food tour: $57
- Kota Tua Food Tour: $64
- Melawai Night Street Food Tour: $67
- Private Jakarta Guided City Tour with Batavia Café and Dinner: $80
- 10-Tasting Private Food Tour with a Local Host: $98
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.Jakarta $13Cape Town $23
Tours and Activities in Jakarta
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Jakarta.
- 3 Hours Jakarta City Tour (Jakarta's Iconic Places): $45
- 4 Hours Jakarta Private City Tour - (Most Tourist Attractions): $55
- 5 Hours Jakarta Private City Tour - (Most Highlights): $65
- 6 Hours Jakarta Private City Tour - (Must Visit Places): $75
- 8 Hours Jakarta Private City Tour - (All Tourist Attractions): $109
- Afternoon Guided Chinatown Tour in Jakarta : $53
- Baduy Tribal Tracker and Village in Private Tour Full Day & Lunch: $130
- Bandung City Tour Mountain Volcano and Hotspring ( Start From Jakarta): $154
- Bandung Private Tour Mountain Volcano and Hotspring ( Overland ): $175
- Bandung Tour : Volcano, Coffee Fields, Hot Springs Water: $121
- Batik Course & City Tour Jakarta: $60
- Best Jakarta Private Tour: $66
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 dayJakarta $4.27Cape Town $21
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 Jakarta and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Jakarta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Jakarta is in Asia 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 Jakarta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jakarta 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town than you might in Jakarta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Jakarta Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Jakarta or Cape Town?
Jakarta has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Cape Town. When comparing the sizes of Jakarta 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.
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.