Which place is cheaper, Bangkok or Johannesburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Johannesburg or Bangkok?
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 Bangkok 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 Bangkok?
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.
Bangkok
Bangkok: a name synonymous with all things exotic. The vibrant and exciting capital of Thailand is not just a hub for Southeast Asia, but also a destination into itself. Known for an active nightlife and party scene, as well as great food, historic temples, and busy markets, Bangkok offers a diversity to entertain even the most experienced travelers.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Thailand, and The Best Wildlife Tours to Thailand.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJohannesburg $95Bangkok $76
The average daily cost (per person) in Johannesburg is $95, while the average daily cost in Bangkok is $76. 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 Bangkok in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJohannesburg $55Bangkok $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJohannesburg $110Bangkok $82
Compare Hotels in Johannesburg and Bangkok
Looking for a hotel in Johannesburg or Bangkok? 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 Bangkok Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Johannesburg $16Bangkok $5.74
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:
- 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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bangkok
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Bangkok are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk to bus station$2.17
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Skytrain Ticket$4.35
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Chao Phraya River Express Ticket$0.87
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Ferry Ride$0.71
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Taxi From Airport$6.79
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Short Taxi Ride$2.45
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Boat Taxi$1.36
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Trains to airport$4.35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bangkok
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bangkok:
- Suvarnabhumi Airport Bus transfer to/from Bangkok: $4.09
- Bus transfer from/to Suvarnabhumi Airport: $5.03
- Airport BKK||DMK : Private car Transfer to downtowns Bangkok: $12
- Private transfer from Hotel in Bangkok to BKK Airport : $14
- Private Bangkok Airport Transfer (BKK/DMK): $14
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Bangkok HTL- APT(BKK): $14
- Bangkok International Airport - Departure Transfer: $15
- Private Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Transfer To City Hotels Or Hotel To Airport: $15
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Bangkok APT-HTL (BKK): $17
- Bangkok International Airport - Arrival Transfer: $17
- Private Bangkok Airport Transfer: $17
- Departure Private Transfer Bangkok City to Bangkok Airport BKK or DMK by Sedan: $17
Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Bangkok?
Prices for flights to both Bangkok 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 $17Bangkok $18
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 Bangkok
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Bangkok:
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Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe (for Two)$24
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Casual Lunch of Prawns (for Two)$5.43
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2 Rotis (Bread)$1.22
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Mango & Sticky Rice$0.82
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Lunch at KFC (for Two)$5.43
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Pad Thai$1.90
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Airport Lunch for 2$15
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Lunch for 2$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bangkok
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bangkok.
- Bangkok Food Tour and Sightseeing with Tuktuk: $16
- White Orchid Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise: $19
- Chao Phraya Princess Dinner Cruise Ticket: $20
- Baiyoke Observation Deck with Lunch/Dinner Buffet: $21
- River Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya Princess: $23
- Meridian Sunset Dinner Cruise - Floating Paradise From ICONSIAM Bangkok: $23
- Calypso Cabaret Show with Thai Set Dinner: $25
- 2-Hour Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya Princess: $26
- Chao Phraya Buffet Dinner Viva Alangka Cruise: $27
- Viva Alangka Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise: $27
- Alangka Luxury Buffet Dinner Cruise With Live Music: $27
- Riverside Dinner Buffet Cruise On Chao Phraya: $27
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Johannesburg $21Bangkok $16
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Bangkok
Here are a few typical costs in Bangkok for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Movie Ticket$4.35
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Grand Palace Entrance Ticket$9.51
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Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) Ticket$1.36
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Dusit Zoo Entrance Fee (for Two)$5.43
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Club Cover Charge$10
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Thai Boxing Tickets (for Two)$65
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Fish Pedicure$4.08
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Wat Pho entrance ticket$2.72
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Siriraj Museum (2)$11
Tours and Activities in Bangkok
Here are a few actual costs in Bangkok for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Thailand's Road to Democracy: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $1.99
- Bangkok Noi Canal: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Road to Democracy: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Thailand's Modern Politics: $5.20
- Skip the Line Admission Ticket: Ayutthaya Floating Market: $5.31
- Skip the line Admission Ticket: Ayutthaya Floating Market: $5.52
- Chinatown and Wat Traimit Self-Guided Walking Tour: $8.00
- Skip the Line Admission Ticket of Ayothaya Floating Market: $8.28
- Skip the Line Admission Ticket of Ayothaya Floating Market: $8.28
- Pororo Aqua Park Entry Ticket: $9.55
- Skip the Line: Patpong Museum Guided Tour : $9.66
- Grand Palace Self-Guided Walking Tour: $10
- Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) Self-Guided Audio Tour: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJohannesburg $4.73Bangkok $5.95
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
Typical Alcohol Prices in Bangkok
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Bangkok are as follows:
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Beer$1.09
Sample the Local Flavors in Bangkok
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Bangkok:
- Pub Crawl and Club Night With Shots & VIP Entrance: $22
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and Bangkok, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Bangkok much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Johannesburg is in Africa and Bangkok is in Asia, 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 Bangkok would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bangkok 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 Bangkok.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Johannesburg Expensive? and Is Bangkok Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Johannesburg or Bangkok?
Bangkok has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Johannesburg. When comparing the sizes of Johannesburg and Bangkok, 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.