Should you visit Johannesburg or Dakar?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Johannesburg and Dakar can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
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.
Dakar
Located in West Africa, Dakar is the capital city of Senegal and an Atlantic port on the Cap-Vert peninsula. Main attractions include the city's markets, the Dakar Grand Mosque, Goree Island, the IFAN Museum, the African Renaissance Monument, beaches, and the Senegal Zoo.
Which city is cheaper, Dakar or Johannesburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Johannesburg is $99, while the average daily cost in Dakar is $54. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Johannesburg and Dakar in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Johannesburg is $114. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
A hotel room in Dakar is about $56 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
Johannesburg food costs typically run travelers around $18 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
The price of a meal in Dakar can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $17 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $6.80 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Johannesburg $18
Dakar $17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
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JoburgPlaces Secret Underground Storytelling Dinner:
$57
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JoburgPlaces Migrant Cuisine Storytelling Dinner:
$57
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Johannesburg Cooking Class:
$60
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A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist:
$95
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3-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner:
$672
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4-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner:
$850
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4-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner:
$903
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5-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner:
$1,115
-
5-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner:
$1,119
Typical Food prices in Dakar
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Dakar:
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $17 per day to get around in Johannesburg.
The cost of a taxi ride in Dakar is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $4.72 per person, per day, on local transportation in Dakar.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
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1-3 Passenger Private Johannesburg Airport Transfer:
$42
-
3 Day All Incl. Private Kruger Park Safari Incl. Transfer From Johannesburg:
$979
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Arrival Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Business Car:
$58
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Arrival Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van:
$70
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Business Private Transfer: JNB Airport to Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City:
$76
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Business Private Transfer: Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City to JNB Airport:
$76
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Business Travel - Individual Airport Transfers - Johannesburg:
$54
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Departure Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Business Car:
$58
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Departure Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van:
$73
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Direct Transfer to Sun City:
$105
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Flexi Airport Transfer with Meet And Greet:
$38
-
Johannesburg Airport One-Way Private Transfer:
$72
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dakar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dakar:
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Departure Private Transfer to Dakar Airport DSS by Sedan, Minivan or Minibus:
$79
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Dakar Airport to St Louis Private Transfer:
$187
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Private Transfer from Dakar to Blaise Diagne Airport (DSS):
$233
Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Dakar?
Prices for flights to both Dakar 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.
Entertainment
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $22 per person, per day in Johannesburg. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Entertainment and activities in Dakar typically cost an average of $12 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
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Johannesburg Free Walking tours:
$3.35
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The Windybrow Heritage Tour:
$13
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motsoaledi walking tours:
$14
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1 or 2 Day Johannesburg Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour:
$14
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City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Johannesburg:
$17
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Maboneng Precinct Walking Tour:
$19
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City Sightseeing Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$21
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Taste of Africa (Food & Beer tasting Experience):
$23
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East City Cycle Tour:
$24
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City Skate Tours - Exploring Cities on Skateboards:
$27
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Innercity Walking Tour:
$27
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Ponte Experience:
$27
Tours and Activities in Dakar
Here are a few actual costs in Dakar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Dakar Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$31
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Private Half-Day Dakar City Tour: Layover tour:
$114
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Half-Day Dakar City Tour:
$128
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Dakar City Tour and Goree Island:
$135
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Full-Day DAKAR city / GOREE Island Tour:
$147
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Half-Day GOREE Island Tour:The Heritage Tour:
$147
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Half Day Private Tour at Bandia Animals Reserve:
$149
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Dakar CITY TOUR:
$149
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Full- Day Goree And Dakar City Tour:
$203
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A Fun tour of the vibrant and busy Dakar City:
$205
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Half Day Tour : Explore Goree island:
$213
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FULL-DAY SAFARI AND PINK LAKE TOUR (minimum 2 pax):
$294
Alcohol
The average person spends about $4.93 on alcoholic beverages in Johannesburg per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Dakar may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $7.91 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:
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Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg:
$10
-
Johannesburg Pub Crawl:
$57
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and Dakar, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Dakar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Dakar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Dakar 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 Dakar.
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