A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Johannesburg vs. London for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Johannesburg or London?

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 London 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 London?

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.

London

The capital of the United Kingdom is a thriving multicultural metropolis. Steeped in iconic landmarks, world-class museums and royal parks, London is energetic, majestic, ambitious and one of the world's greatest cities. London is a cultural and fashion capital, a great place to go out, an amazing place to eat and one of those cities that is constantly changing with new and exciting things sprouting up almost every day. History and tradition greet you at every turn in the UK's capital. London is also a city with an edgy underbelly, delighting in neon pink dive bars, cheeky graffiti and mind-blowing street food. When you need a break from the action, pop into a pub or relax in one of the city's many parks. Blow through the city on a double-decker bus, and take a pinch-me-I'm-in-London walk through the West End. As one of the most visited cities in the world, London is busy, vibrant and very tourist friendly. The only problem with London is that it's very expensive; it can eat away at your budget if you aren't careful. Luckily, there are also tons of free or cheap things to do in London that can fill your time.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in United Kingdom, and The Best 3-Day Tours in United Kingdom.


Which place is cheaper, London or Johannesburg?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Johannesburg is $95, while the average daily cost in London is $238. 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 London in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Johannesburg $55
    London $154
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Johannesburg $110
    London $308
Compare Hotels in Johannesburg and London

Looking for a hotel in Johannesburg or London? 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.

Hotels in Johannesburg


Hotels in London


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 London Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Johannesburg $16
    London $32
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 London

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in London:


  • Taxi Ride
    $18
  • Heathrow Express
    $23
  • Luggage Storage
    $10
  • London Map
    $1.62
  • Oyster Card
    $45
  • Train to Gatwick Airport (2)
    $27
  • Oyster Card
    $34

Hired Cars and Shuttles in London

Also for London, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Bus Transfer between Heathrow Airport & Premier Inn: $7.53
  • Transfer Heathrow Airport to/from Renaissance Hotel: $8.53
  • Bus Transfer Between Heathrow Airport & Radisson RED: $8.53
  • Heathrow Airport to North London Private Transfer: $13
  • Gatwick Airport: Bus Transfer from/to Central London: $13
  • Gatwick Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Bristol: $15
  • Heathrow Airport to/from Central London Bus Transfer: $15
  • Heathrow Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Birmingham: $16
  • Luton Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Birmingham: $17
  • Bus Transfer between Heathrow & Luton Airports: $17
  • Heathrow Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Bristol City Center: $17
  • Luton Airport to/from Central London Bus Transfer: $18

Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or London?

Prices for flights to both London 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 day
    Johannesburg $17
    London $43

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 London

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to London:


  • Lunch at Starbucks
    $16
  • Tea
    $7.53
  • Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
    $49
  • Morning Tea
    $7.97
  • Pastry
    $6.27
  • Sushi Dinner for One
    $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in London

For London, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Borough Market Self-guided food tour: $5.76
  • Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $35
  • Picadilly Circus: Hard Rock Cafe Set Menu Lunch or Dinner: $36
  • Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $38
  • Traveling Spoon Nepalese Momos Private Online Cooking Class: $40
  • Pizza Making Cookery Class: $53
  • No Diet Club - Best food Tour in East London: $68
  • African & Caribbean Food Tour in Multi-Cultural Brixton: $74
  • Borough Bites, The London Food Tour: $74
  • Borough Market Flavors of London Food Tour: $74
  • Plant Power - Vegan Food Tour: $88
  • Traditional English Walking Food Tour With London Food Tours: $95

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Johannesburg $21
    London $41

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 London

For London, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Two Tickets to a Concert
    $104
  • London Symphony Orchestra
    $43
  • London Pass
    $59
  • Comedy Show
    $10

Tours and Activities in London

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for London.

  • London's Hidden Gems Self Guided City Tour: $3.26
  • London Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $3.28
  • Harry Potter Movie Locations Self Walking Tour: $3.77
  • Jack the Ripper Self Guided Audio Tour in London: $4.91
  • Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in London: $5.45
  • Soho's Contribution to Health Care History Walking Audio Tour: $5.48
  • Bloomsbury's Contribution to Health Care History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.48
  • Covent Garden: A Self-Guided Photography Tour : $5.54
  • Brick Lane: A self-guided audio tour of East London's vibrant jewel: $5.54
  • Camden Town's Quirky Characters: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.54
  • London Lights: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of the Cultural Capital of the World: $5.54
  • Secret An audio tour about the heritage of the city's Russian immigrants: $5.54

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Johannesburg $4.73
    London $19

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

Sample the Local Flavors in London

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in London:

  • Self Guided Audio Tour in London Old Pub Crawl: $7.63
  • Fun London Pub Crawl Treasure Hunt with 20% off ALL drinks!: $13
  • 2-Hour Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $20
  • Haunted London Pub Walking Tour: $20
  • 1 Big Night Out Weekday Pub Crawl: $24
  • Craft Brewery Tour with Tasting of 4 Beers: $25
  • Shoreditch Pub Crawl in London: $25
  • Guided Historic Pub Tour (London): $27
  • Pub Crawl of Central London: $29
  • Camden Pub Crawl & Bar Tour London: $31
  • Pub Crawl and Nightlife Tour: $31
  • Burlesque Cabaret Show in Covent Garden: $31

How are these travel costs calculated?

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and London, we can see that London 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 London is in Europe, 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 London would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in London 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 London Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Johannesburg or London?

London has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Johannesburg. When comparing the sizes of Johannesburg and London, 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.
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