Should you visit Johannesburg or Durban?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Johannesburg and Durban 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.
Durban
The third largest city in South Africa, Durban sits on the east coast of the country in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The city also has the country's most active port. The city's comfortable weather and vast beaches make it one of the country's major tourist centers. There's a population of about 3.5 million in the entire metropolitan area that spreads over 2,295 square kilometers.
Which city is cheaper, Durban 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 Durban is $55. 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 Durban 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.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Durban, $52 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Durban, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $26, such as in a hostel.
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.
Food in Durban costs travelers about $17 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Johannesburg $18
Durban $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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Durban than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $14 on transportation in Durban on average per day.
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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3 Day All Incl. Private Kruger Park Safari Incl. Transfer From Johannesburg:
$979
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Private Arrival Transfer: Johannesburg Airport to Mpumalanga:
$376
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Suncity Transfer:
$151
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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 Sun City/Pilanesberg National Park:
$125
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Johannesburg Airport to Johannesburg Hotel or Vice Versa (Private Transfer):
$114
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Direct Transfer to Sun City:
$105
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Johannesburg Airport Transfers : Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Car:
$90
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Johannesburg Airport Transfers : Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car:
$90
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Low Cost Private Transfer From OR Tambo International Airport to Johannesburg City - One Way:
$86
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Round Trip O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) Transfer to Johannesburg City Center:
$84
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Business Private Transfer: JNB Airport to Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City:
$76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Durban
Also for Durban, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Airport Shuttle / Transfers:
$30
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Private Transfers - Minibus - Durban Arrivals and Departures:
$35
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1-3 Passenger Private Durban Airport Transfer:
$42
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Private Durban Airport Departure Transfer:
$55
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Arrival Private Transfer: Durban MSC Cruise Port to Durban City by Minivan:
$75
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Departure Private Transfer: Durban City to Durban MSC Cruise Port by Minivan:
$75
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Departure Private Transfer: Durban City to Durban Airport DUR by Business Car:
$76
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Departure Private Transfer from Durban City to Durban Airport DUR by Minivan:
$79
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Arrival Private Transfer from Durban Airport DUR to Durban City by Minivan:
$82
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Private Arrival Transfer: Durban International Airport to Umhlanga:
$86
Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Durban?
Prices for flights to both Durban 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.
Sightseeing expenses in Durban, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $17 per day, per person.
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 Durban
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Durban.
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Luxury Boat Cruise Tour at Durban Point Waterfront Canals:
$8.05
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Girls Only Girls Bike Out 2-Hour Bike Tour of Durban:
$31
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Culture Walking Tour of Durban:
$34
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Durban Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$36
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Discover Inner City Jewels Walking Tour in Durban:
$37
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Durban City Sightseeing Tour:
$41
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Durban Half-Day City Tour - Golden Mile, Botanical Gardens:
$41
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Durban City Tour:
$44
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Durban City Highlights Tour:
$46
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3-Hour Durban City Sightseeing Tour:
$53
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Royal Reed Dance Day Tour From Durban:
$54
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Durban Highlights tour:
$54
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.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Durban, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $13.
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 we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and Durban, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Durban much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Durban would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Durban 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 Durban.
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