Which place is cheaper, Adelaide or Johannesburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Johannesburg or Adelaide?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Johannesburg and Adelaide 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: Johannesburg or Adelaide?
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.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the often overlooked capital city of the State of South Australia. It's also the fifth largest city in the country. Despite being skipped by most travelers, Adelaide is an interesting city to explore and has a decent amount to offer open minded travelers. It has some fascinating architecture, unique shopping, and wonderful cafes and restaurants. Part of the appeal of Adelaide is its location in the midst of Australia's wine regions, including McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley. Any of these destinations could be visited as a day trip from Adelaide.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Sydney.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJohannesburg $95Adelaide $111
The average daily cost (per person) in Johannesburg is $95, while the average daily cost in Adelaide is $111. 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 Johannesburg and Adelaide in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJohannesburg $55Adelaide $66
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJohannesburg $110Adelaide $132
Compare Hotels in Johannesburg and Adelaide
Looking for a hotel in Johannesburg or Adelaide? 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: Johannesburg Hotel Prices and Adelaide Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Johannesburg $16Adelaide $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Suncity Transfer: $194
- Shuttle Transfer from Johannesburg Airport to Hazyview: $66
- Private executive transfer to sun city or airport/hotels : $118
- Private Van Airport Transfers : Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria: $71
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van: $72
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car: $103
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Sedan Car: $61
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $72
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Car: $103
- Private Transfer, Airports to Cradle of Humankind & Muldersdrift : $147
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg To Pilanesberg: $221
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) to Pretoria hotels: $164
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Adelaide
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Adelaide are as follows:
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Shuttle from the Train Station$3.63
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Adelaide
Also for Adelaide, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Adelaide Airport(ADL)to Adelaide city - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
- Adelaide Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Adelaide: $57
- Arrival Private Transfers: Adelaide Airport ADL to Adelaide in Business Car: $62
- Private Arrival Transfer: Adelaide Airport to Hotel: $66
- Adelaide Airport (ADL) to Adelaide - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $76
- Departure Private Transfers: Adelaide to Adelaide Airport ADL in Luxury Van: $92
- Adelaide Airport Transfers : Adelaide City to Airport ADL in Luxury Car: $106
- Adelaide Private Airport and City Transfer: $109
- ADL Airport Private Transfer to Downtown: $119
- Adelaide Airport (ADL): Private Transfer to Adelaide hotels: $220
- One Day Kangaroo Island Sip & See tour with return ferry transfers from Adelaide: $246
- Adelaide Airport (ADL): Private Transfer to Adelaide Port: $254
Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Adelaide?
Prices for flights to both Adelaide and Johannesburg 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 dayJohannesburg $17Adelaide $31
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: $41
- A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
- JOBURG DINNERS : MABONENG CITY DINNER: $97
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $99
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $216
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- HandleBar Bike Tour with Pub Stops & Dinner Option: $23
- Local Food Tour and Tastings with Guide: $79
- Cooking classes Goolwa: $129
- Small-Group River Murray Dark Sky and Sunset Tour with Dinner: $192
- Pipi Catching and Cooking Experience in Goolwa : $230
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Johannesburg $21Adelaide $14
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: $227
- Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $122
- Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $194
- Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $96
- Soweto half day tour including Mandela House.Private transport: $72
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $30
- 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,701
- 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $4,052
- 3 Day Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $807
- 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $832
- 4-Day Private Tour Johannesburg and Pretoria - See everything in 4 days : $214
- 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,735
Tours and Activities in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Adelaide Self-Guided Audio Tour: $1.00
- Queer Adelaide History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Torrens River Cruise in Adelaide: $17
- River Torrens Popeye Sightseeing Cruise: $17
- Adelaide Oval Stadium Guided Tour: $19
- Adelaide Oval Stadium Tour: $19
- An exciting, Tree Top Adventure for Our Littlest Adventurers : $23
- River Torrens Popeye Devonshire Tea Cruise: $26
- Adelaide Walking Tour: Hills, Squares and Parklands: $27
- Adelaide Gaol Adults Ghost Tour & Investigation: $28
- City Highlights Walking Tour with Guide: $29
- Private Home Style Indian Dining Experience: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJohannesburg $4.73Adelaide $23
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: $8.23
- Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $115
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $226
Sample the Local Flavors in Adelaide
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Adelaide:
- Private Pinot Noir Wine Tasting & Platter in Adelaide Hills: $30
- River Torrens Desserts And Wine Tour: $43
- McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting and Sightseeing (Half-day Afternoon): $52
- McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting Tour: $52
- Adelaide Highlights, Hahndorf & McLaren Vale Wine Tasting and Sightseeing Tour: $79
- Highlights, Hahndorf, & McLaren Vale Wine Tastings: $79
- Barossa Valley Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour: $112
- From Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour: $112
- The Barossa Valley Premium Wine Tour with Lunch: $112
- Barossa Small Group Wine Tours - Local Guide: $131
- Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour: $131
- Adelaide Hills Full Day Wine Tour: $131
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and Adelaide, we can see that Adelaide is more expensive. And not only is Johannesburg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Johannesburg is in Africa and Adelaide is in Pacific, 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 Johannesburg would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Johannesburg 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 Adelaide would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Adelaide than you might in Johannesburg.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Johannesburg Expensive? and Is Adelaide Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Johannesburg or Adelaide?
Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 89% larger than the population of Adelaide. When comparing the sizes of Johannesburg and Adelaide, 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.