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

Should you visit Johannesburg or Baltimore?

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 Baltimore 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 Baltimore?

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.

Baltimore

Baltimore is a large, industrial city and popular tourist destination in the state of Maryland. It is about an hour outside of Washington, D.C. and is a hub of tourism and entertainment for the area. It has a vibrant nightlife, comfortable climate, and is a great place to visit when you're in the area. The city proper has a population of about 600,000 and the metropolitan area has 2.7 million. Its economy is centered around science, technology, engineering and math and it has many undergraduate and graduate schools including the world renowned Johns Hopkins University.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City.


Which place is cheaper, Baltimore or Johannesburg?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Johannesburg is $95, while the average daily cost in Baltimore is $184. 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 Baltimore in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Johannesburg $55
    Baltimore $93
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Johannesburg $110
    Baltimore $186
Compare Hotels in Johannesburg and Baltimore

Looking for a hotel in Johannesburg or Baltimore? 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 Johannesburg


Hotels in Baltimore


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 Baltimore Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Johannesburg $16
    Baltimore $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg

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


  • Taxi Ride
    $3.24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:

  • 1-3 Passenger Private Johannesburg - Airport Transfer: $35
  • Airport To Suncity Transfer And Return: $405
  • Apartheid Museum Private Transfers: $44
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Business Car: $61
  • Departure Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $72
  • Executive Airport Transfers - OR Tambo to Sandton : $179
  • From Johannesburg Airport: 1-Way Transfer with Pretoria Tour: $109
  • Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Johannesburg hotels: $195
  • Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Pretoria hotels: $279
  • Johannesburg Airport JNB to Johannesburg Hotels Arrival Transfer: $35
  • Johannesburg Airport Private Transfers: Departures (Hotel Pickup): $45
  • Johannesburg Airport Transfers: $55

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Baltimore

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Baltimore:

  • Private Transfer from Baltimore Airport to Baltimore Port: $42
  • Oakland to San Francisco Airport (SFO)-Departure Private Transfer: $44
  • Private Arrival Transfer from Baltimore Washington Airport BWI: $60
  • Baltimore City to Washington City - Private Car Transfer: $63
  • Baltimore Airport (BWI) to Washington - Arrival Private Transfer: $76
  • San Francisco Airport to Oakland: Round Trip Private Transfer: $88
  • Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI) to Washington - Arrival Private Transfer: $93
  • Baltimore City to Philadelphia City - Private Car Transfer: $103
  • Arrival Private Transfer Baltimore Airport BWI to Baltimore by Business Vehicle: $111
  • Departure Private Transfer Baltimore to Baltimore Airport BWI - Business Vehicle: $111
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Baltimore Airport BWI to Washington in Business Car: $135
  • BWI Airport: Transfer to Baltimore or Washington DC: $150

Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Baltimore?

Prices for flights to both Baltimore 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Johannesburg $17
    Baltimore $46

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
  • JOBURG DINNERS : MABONENG CITY DINNER: $97
  • Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $99
  • Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $216

Typical Food Prices in Baltimore

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Baltimore:


  • Seafood Dinner (for 2) in Fells Point
    $76

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Baltimore

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

  • Private Hands-On Vegan Cooking Experience in Baltimore: $45
  • Federal Hill Food Tour: $71
  • Little Italy and Jonestown Food Tour: $73
  • Fells Point Food Tour in Baltimore: $74
  • Inner Harbor Buffet Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner: $76
  • Christmas Eve Gourmet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $84
  • Christmas Day Gourmet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $84
  • Baltimore Signature Dinner Cruise: $101
  • Baltimore Buffet Dinner/Dance Cruise of the Inner Harbor: $119
  • Baltimore Father's Day Buffet Dinner Cruise : $126
  • Baltimore New Year's Eve Buffet Dinner Cruise: $251

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Johannesburg $21
    Baltimore $18

Tours and Activities in Johannesburg

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

  • Johannesburg Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
  • Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour: $16
  • Jo'burg Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Apartheid Museum & Soweto: $16
  • Architectural Walking Tour: $19
  • Soweto: Hector Pieterson Memorial, to Orlando Towers Tour: $24
  • Maboneng Street Art & Culture Tour: $27
  • Braamfontein Street Art Tour: $27
  • Soweto: Bike Tour with a Local Tour Guide: $30
  • Colours of A Graffiti & Street Art Tour: $30
  • Johannesburg Street Art & Museum Walking or E-scooter Tour : $30
  • (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $30
  • A Day Of Soweto Food & Beer Tour: $32

Tours and Activities in Baltimore

Here are a few actual costs in Baltimore for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Downtown Baltimore In-App Audio Tour: $9.00
  • Historic & Cultural Baltimore Self-Driving Audio Guided Tour: $14
  • Antietam National Battlefield Self-Guided Driving Tour: $15
  • Historical Baltimore Self-Driving Sightseeing Audio Tour: $17
  • Baltimore Scavenger Hunt Adventure: $21
  • Baltimore Ghosts By US Ghost Adventures: $24
  • The Original Fells Point Ghost Walk by Baltimore Ghost Tours: $24
  • Baltimore's Cruise ship Tour-shuttle service: $25
  • Inner Harbor Sightseeing Cruise: $28
  • Baltimore Harbor Tour: $28
  • The Original Fells Point Ghost Walk by Baltimore Ghost Tours: $30
  • Sights and Sips Private City Sightseeing Cruise: $31

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Johannesburg $4.73
    Baltimore $17

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: $8.28

Sample the Local Flavors in Baltimore

Also in Baltimore, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Original Fells Point Haunted Pub Tour by Baltimore Ghost Tours: $33
  • Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
  • From Patapsco Region Wine Tour with Lunch: $175


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and Baltimore, we can see that Baltimore 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 Baltimore is in North America, 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 Baltimore would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Baltimore 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 Baltimore Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Johannesburg or Baltimore?

Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Baltimore. When comparing the sizes of Johannesburg and Baltimore, 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.