Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Kampala?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Kampala or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kampala or Cape Town? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Kampala or Cape Town?
Kampala
Kampala is the capital of Uganda in the South part of the country near Lake Victoria. It is the largest city in Uganda, with a population of over two million people. This city is very safe and the locals are known to be very kind and approachable.
Cape Town
Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.
Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in Uganda, The Best Safaris in Uganda, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Kampala Prices
Uganda PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKampala $77Cape Town $191
The average daily cost (per person) in Kampala is $77, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $191. 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 Kampala and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKampala $60Cape Town $89
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKampala $120Cape Town $178
Compare Hotels in Kampala and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Kampala or Cape Town? 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: Kampala Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kampala $2.54Cape Town $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kampala
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Kampala are as follows:
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Taxi around town$4.07
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kampala
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kampala:
- The best Half day Kampala City Tour with Transfers: $65
- Private Transfer from Kampala to Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda: $78
- Private Transfer from Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda to Kampala: $78
- Private Airport & In-Country Transfers in Central Uganda: $60
- Jinja 1 Day Source of River Nile Tour with Transfers: $250
- Full-Day Kampala City Highlights Tour, Lunch & private Transfers: $156
- Entebbe Kampala Airport Transfer: $55
- Entebbe Airport pickup (Entebbe - Kampala) reliable 24/7 transfer: $48
- Airport Transfer from Entebbe to Kampala: $30
- Airport Pick-Up and Transfers by Globetrotters Africa: $69
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 1-4 Passenger Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $62
- 1-4 Passenger Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $31
- AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $17
- Afternoon Tea at Mount Nellie with Transfer: $92
- Airport Transfer: $63
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $20
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $49
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town): $61
- Airport Transfer from Cape Town International: $38
- Airport Transfer: Airport CPT to Cape Town by Luxury Car: $115
- Airport Transfers Cape Town: $63
- Airport Transfers to and from Cape Town International Airport: $38
Is it cheaper to fly into Kampala or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Kampala 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
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Food Meals for one dayKampala $15Cape Town $82
Typical Food Prices in Kampala
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Kampala:
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Lunch for 2$1.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kampala
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kampala.
- Matoke Moments Kampala Food Tour 12+ Tastings: $49
- Private Ugandan Food Cooking Class and Culture Experience: $55
- Cooking Class With a Local (Kampala, Jinja, Entebbe - 4 Hours): $56
- Nighttime Boda Boda Street Food Tour: $99
- Fishing Village Food Tour & Luwombo Stop: $119
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $32
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $62
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $63
- Cape Town Dinner Experience with local family: $68
- Cape Town Cooking Class & Wine Pairing with Award-Winning Chef: $69
- Cape Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $79
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $86
- Sunset At Signal and Dinner Privat: $88
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $88
- Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $101
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kampala -Cape Town $26
Tours and Activities in Kampala
Here are a few actual costs in Kampala for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Jinja Source of the Nile Tour: $290
- 1 Day Ngamba Island chimpanzee tour: $270
- 1 Day Shoebill Stork and Birding Experience: $190
- 1 Day Uganda Equator Tour From Kampala To Kayabwe: $200
- 1 day Uganda Equator Experience: $200
- 1 day kampala tour: $205
- 1-Day Jinja & River Nile Tour(Women-Guided-Experience): $179
- 1/2 Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Tour: $130
- 2-Hours Village Walk and Lake Victoria cruise from Kampala: $35
- 2-Hours village walk and Lake Victoria cruise from Entebbe: $35
- 3 Hours Walking Tour in Kampala: $28
- African Fabric Market Tour: $13
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Cape Town Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.49
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $4.09
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.99
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.99
- Kirstenbosch Gardens: An Audio Tour by Botany Expert: $5.00
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
- The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
- Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
- Cape Town live guided Urban Safari: Inner City Tour: $5.64
- Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $5.98
- Cape Town 30-minute V&A Harbour Cruise: $5.98
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Return Ticket: $6.04
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKampala -Cape Town $23
Sample the Local Flavors in Kampala
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Kampala:
- Kampala Bar Crawl, Beer Tasting and Street Food (6 Hours): $71
Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town
Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
- Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $15
- Urban Wine Tasting: $31
- Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $34
- Cape Town Wine Tour: 3 Wineries — Babylonstoren, Fairview & Spier: $46
- Cape Point, Penguins & Wine Tasting In Constantia Full Day Tour: $47
- Cape Town Hostel Pub Crawl & LinkUps: $53
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $56
- Uncork the Cape : Stellenboch Half Day Wine Tour: $57
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $59
- Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Stellenbosch: $60
- Full-Day Stellenbosch Wine Tasting Tour: $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kampala and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Kampala much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Kampala would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kampala 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town than you might in Kampala.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kampala Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kampala or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Kampala. When comparing the sizes of Kampala and Cape Town, 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.