Which place is cheaper, Honolulu or Johannesburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Johannesburg or Honolulu?
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 Honolulu 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 Honolulu?
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.
Honolulu
Hawaii's capital city of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is the state's center for government, finance, and transportation. It's also the home of Waikiki Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the state of Hawaii. Nearly one million people live in this Honolulu metropolitan area. This is almost 80% of the state's population. The city is not the relaxed Hawaiian destination that you might be searching for, but is instead a fast paced, cosmopolitan city. In addition to attracting many tourists every year, you'll also find international businesses, military defense and a diverse culture and population.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJohannesburg $95Honolulu $284
The average daily cost (per person) in Johannesburg is $95, while the average daily cost in Honolulu is $284. 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 Honolulu in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJohannesburg $55Honolulu $183
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJohannesburg $110Honolulu $366
Compare Hotels in Johannesburg and Honolulu
Looking for a hotel in Johannesburg or Honolulu? 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 Honolulu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Johannesburg $16Honolulu $26
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:
- Airport To Suncity Transfer And Return: $405
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Pretoria hotels: $279
- OR Tambo to Sun City Transfer : $235
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg To Pilanesberg: $221
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Johannesburg hotels: $195
- Private Land Rover transfer to Sun City from Johannesburg and PTA: $195
- Suncity Transfer: $194
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) to Pretoria hotels: $164
- Private Transfer, Airports to Cradle of Humankind & Muldersdrift : $147
- Airport Transfers from Cradle of Humankind Muldesdrift to Jo'burg: $147
- Private Airport Transfer: $121
- Private executive transfer to sun city or airport/hotels : $118
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Honolulu
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Honolulu are as follows:
-
Rental Car for One Day$35
-
Airport Shuttle for Two$30
-
Hilton Parking$24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Honolulu
Also for Honolulu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Waikiki or Cruise Terminal: $18
- Departure Transfer: Airport Shuttle Honolulu and Waikiki or Cruise Terminal: $18
- Shared Departure Transfer from Waikiki Hotels to Honolulu Airport: $18
- Shared Arrival Transfer from Honolulu Airport to Waikiki Hotels: $18
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Honolulu Airport to Hotel or Cruise Terminal: $20
- Shared Departure Transfer: Oahu Hotels or Cruise Terminal to Honolulu Airport: $20
- Honolulu Airport Private Transfer to or from Waikiki: $32
- Airport Private Transfer with Arrival Lei Greeting: $35
- Honolulu Airport -Waikiki Arrival Private Transfer W/Lei Greeting: $35
- Oahu: Honolulu Shuttle Bus Transfer to Pearl Harbor: $37
- Private Transfer from Honolulu Airport (HNL) to Honolulu Port: $37
- Shared Round-Trip Transfer: Honolulu Airport to Hotel or Cruise Terminal: $39
Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Honolulu?
Prices for flights to both Honolulu 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 dayJohannesburg $17Honolulu $53
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
- A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
- JOBURG DINNERS : MABONENG CITY DINNER: $97
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $99
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $216
Typical Food Prices in Honolulu
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Honolulu:
-
Dinner for Two$73
-
Lapperts Hawaii Ice Cream$5.55
-
Chai's Island Bistro (for 2)$53
-
Cheeseburger Waikiki (for 2)$34
-
Matsumoto Shave Ice (for 2)$7.50
-
Hot Dog with the Fixins'$8.30
-
Sushi Dinner for Two$73
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Honolulu
For Honolulu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hawaii Food Tour - Off The Beaten Path : $150
- Oahu Da Local's Food Tour: $150
- Lanai Tabura curated Private Aloha Plate Food Tour from Honolulu: $239
- Brewery and Local Food Tour: $480
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Johannesburg $21Honolulu $40
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Golf Tour, Sun City , Gary Player Course - Rated the Best: $227
- Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $122
- Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $194
- Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $96
- Soweto half day tour including Mandela House.Private transport: $72
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $30
- 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,701
- 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $4,052
- 3 Day Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $807
- 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $832
- 4-Day Private Tour Johannesburg and Pretoria - See everything in 4 days : $214
- 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,735
Typical Entertainment Prices in Honolulu
For Honolulu, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Parking for Hike$5.00
-
Pearl Harbor Audio Tour for Two$12
-
2 hr Dinner Cruise$85
-
1 Day Kayak Rental$36
Tours and Activities in Honolulu
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Honolulu.
- Heart of Waikiki Walking Tour: Audio Tour Guide: $4.99
- Historic Downtown Honolulu Tour: Audio Tour Guide: $4.99
- Military and Entertainment in Waikiki: A Self-Guided Tour: $7.99
- Waikīkī's Beaches and Royalty: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Hawaii‘s Historic Kingdom: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Oahu: USS Arizona Memorial Chief's Narrated Multimedia Tour: $7.99
- Downtown Honolulu Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $8.49
- Waikiki Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $8.49
- Honolulu In-App Audio Tour: Historical & Cultural Treasures: $9.00
- Honolulu's Backyard Rainforest Tour: Audio Tour Guide: $9.99
- USS Arizona Commander's Narrated Multimedia Tour - 23 Stops: $11
- Oahu: Honolulu 3-Hour Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayJohannesburg $4.73Honolulu $6.47
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: $8.23
- Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $115
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $226
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and Honolulu, we can see that Honolulu 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 Honolulu 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 Honolulu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Honolulu 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 Honolulu Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Johannesburg or Honolulu?
Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Honolulu. When comparing the sizes of Johannesburg and Honolulu, 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.