Should you visit Johannesburg or Drakensberg?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Johannesburg and Drakensberg 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.
Drakensberg
Drakensberg, whose name derives from the Dutch and means "mountains of the dragons," is a mountainous region which encompasses a vast amount of South Africa's interior, extending into neighboring countries as well. It hugs the eastern border of Lesotho, attracting visitors for hiking, backpacking, and admiring the natural wonders of the landscape.
Which city is cheaper, Drakensberg 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 Drakensberg is $95. 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 Drakensberg 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.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $80 in Drakensberg For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
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 average traveler spends about $17 per day in Drakensberg for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Johannesburg $18
Drakensberg $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
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5-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner:
$1,119
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.
To get around in Drakensberg, the average visitor spends $72 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
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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Transfer and Shuttles:
$50
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Tour operator. airport and hotels transfers chauffeur and safari tours services.:
$37
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Suncity Transfer:
$151
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Round Trip O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) Transfer to Johannesburg City Center:
$84
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Return Private Transfers to Sun City from OR Tambo Airport or Joburg Hotels:
$141
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Private transfer: Johannesburg to Johannesburg Airport (JNB):
$38
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Private transfer: Johannesburg Airport (JNB) to Johannesburg:
$38
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Private transfer service from OR Thambo, Lanseria and Wonderboom Airport:
$33
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Private Transfer: Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City to JNB Airport by Minivan:
$64
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Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Sun City/Pilanesberg National Park:
$125
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Private Transfer: JNB Airport to Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City by Minivan:
$76
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Private Johannesburg Airport Arrival Transfer:
$49
Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Drakensberg?
Prices for flights to both Drakensberg 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.
In Drakensberg, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $9.09 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
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1 or 2 Day Johannesburg Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour:
$14
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10 Day - Kruger Park - Swaziland - Durban - Lesotho - Drakensberg Tour:
$2,214
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15 Days - Johannesburg, Kruger National Park and Cape Town Tour:
$4,025
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2 Days/ 1 Night - Dinokeng Safaris and Cullinan tours:
$312
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3 Day Unlimited Kruger National Park Safari Game Drive from Johannesburg Tour:
$639
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3 days tour package - Soweto/Apartheid Museum/ Pretoria/Lion Park:
$312
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3-Day Kruger National Park Experience:
$794
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3-Day NON-SHARED Private Group Kruger Safari Camping Tour from Johannesburg:
$3,013
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3-day Cradle of Human Kind, Sun City and Pilanesberg Big 5 Tour:
$990
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4 Hour Johannesburg City Tour:
$74
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4-Day Johannesburg to Soweto Pretoria Private Tour Farm Stay:
$503
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4-Day Private Guided Safari Tour of Madikwe with Meals:
$938
Tours and Activities in Drakensberg
For Drakensberg, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Platteklip Gorge Guided Hike Experience from Cape Town:
$59
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.
Typically, people visiting Drakensberg spend on average $3.94 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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
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Johannesburg Pub Crawl:
$57
When comparing the travel costs between Johannesburg and Drakensberg, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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