Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Kruger National Park?
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 Kruger National Park or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Kruger National Park and Cape Town can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Kruger National Park or Cape Town?
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park, in northeast South Africa hugs the border of Mozambique in the east, Zimbabwe in the north, and the Crocodile River to the south. Covering nearly 20,000 square kilometers, it hosts a variety of habitats with a thriving population of wildlife and indigenous plant species, making it a safari destination like no other.
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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in South Africa, The Best 10-Day Tours in South Africa, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in South Africa, and The Best 2-Week Tours in South Africa.
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Kruger National Park Prices
South Africa PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKruger National Park $106Cape Town $191
The average daily cost (per person) in Kruger National Park is $106, 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 Kruger National Park and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKruger National Park $55Cape Town $89
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKruger National Park $110Cape Town $178
Compare Hotels in Kruger National Park and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Kruger National Park 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: Kruger National Park Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kruger National Park $28Cape Town $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Van for 1-7 Passenger Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $50
- Unguided Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Incl Cape Town Transfers): $176
- Transfer from Cape Town International Airport to Cape Town Areas: $22
- Township Tour by Lwafika Tours and Transfers in Cape Town: $76
- Table Mountain Tour with Round Trip Transfers: $61
- Table Mountain Tour Tickets and Transfers: $99
- Table Mountain Half-Day Tour – Cable Car Ticket & Transfers: $96
- Table Mountain Guided with Cable Car Tickets & Hotel Transfers: $116
- Table Mountain Cable Car Tour with Tickets & Hotel Transfers: $78
- Swift Ride Airport Transfers: $62
- Shopping Mall Transfers-Hassle-Free Ride: $37
- Shark Diving Full Day Guided Return Transfer to Gansbaai from Cape Town: $183
Is it cheaper to fly into Kruger National Park or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Kruger National Park 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 dayKruger National Park $31Cape Town $82
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kruger National Park
For Kruger National Park, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Safari Game Drive and Dinner in the Bush near Hoedspruit: $159
- No1 Rated Sunset Game Drive and Bush Dinner: $171
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
- Cape Town Dinner Experience with local family: $67
- 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
- Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $94
- Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $99
- Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Lorette’s Cape Town Home: $100
- Cape Town Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $103
- Cape town Dinner Restaurant African Food With Live Music: $109
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kruger National Park $24Cape Town $26
Tours and Activities in Kruger National Park
For Kruger National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Hour Quad Bike Safari Adventure and Zipline: $69
- 90-minute Elephant Watching Experience in Hoedspruit: $93
- Boat & Safari Combo - Blyde Dam Boat Cruise & Private Safari: $202
- Full-Day Guided Tour in the Kruger National Park: $93
- Hoedspruit Kruger National Park Full Day Safari Tour: $159
- Johannesburg Highlights & Scenic City Tour: $124
- Kruger National Park Full Day Safari Tour: $187
- Kruger National Park Guided Day Tour including Hotel Pick-Up and Drop-Off: $103
- Kruger National Park Half Day Tour from Hoedspruit: $101
- 3-Day Safari Tour and Treehouse Stay: $781
- Private 4x4 Safari Tour in Kruger National Park: $125
- Private Guided Panorama Full Day Tour: $272
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- #1 Boulders Penguins & Cape Point Full Day Tour From Cape Town: $39
- ( Cape town ) Private Winelands Tasting Full Day Tour: $258
- 1 Hour Coastal Catamaran Cruise from Cape Town: $26
- 1 Hour Small Group Quad Bike Adventure in Cape Town: $42
- 1- Hour Catamaran Cruise Cape Town: $21
- 1-Hour Table Mountain Abseiling Experience: $69
- 10 Day South Africa Tour Johannesburg to Cape Town: $2,657
- 10 Day Ultra Budget South Africa Tour: $1,809
- 100 % Catch Rate Cape Town Wild Tours: $82
- 12 Day South Africa Tour Johannesburg to Cape Town: $2,854
- 2 Day Cape Escape: Whale Coast, Penguins & Zipline Adventure: $288
- 2-Day Cape Town Big 6 Pre-Booked Attraction Tickets: $205
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKruger National Park $4.73Cape Town $23
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
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $37
- Cape Point, Penguins & Wine Tasting In Constantia Full Day Tour: $47
- Cape Town Wine Tour: 3 Wineries — Babylonstoren, Fairview & Spier: $48
- Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $49
- 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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kruger National Park and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Kruger National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Kruger National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kruger National Park 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 Kruger National Park.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kruger National Park Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Kruger National Park or Cape Town?
Both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. And since both cities are in the southern hemisphere, summer is in January and winter is in July.
Should I visit Kruger National Park or Cape Town in the Summer?
Both Cape Town and Kruger National Park are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities.
Kruger National Park is a little warmer than Cape Town in the summer. The daily temperature in Kruger National Park averages around 28°C (83°F) in January, and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
In January, Kruger National Park usually receives more rain than Cape Town. Kruger National Park gets 95 mm (3.7 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JanuaryKruger National Park 28°C (83°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Kruger National Park or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Kruger National Park during the autumn are popular places to visit.
In the autumn, Kruger National Park is a little warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Kruger National Park in April average around 24°C (76°F), and Cape Town averages at about 18°C (64°F).
Kruger National Park usually gets around the same amount of rain in April as Cape Town. Kruger National Park gets 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures AprilKruger National Park 24°C (76°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Kruger National Park or Cape Town in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Kruger National Park and Cape Town.
In July, Kruger National Park is generally a little warmer than Cape Town. Daily temperatures in Kruger National Park average around 18°C (64°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F).
In July, Kruger National Park usually receives less rain than Cape Town. Kruger National Park gets 11 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JulyKruger National Park 18°C (64°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Kruger National Park or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Kruger National Park as well as Cape Town.
Kruger National Park is much warmer than Cape Town in the spring. The daily temperature in Kruger National Park averages around 25°C (77°F) in October, and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F).
Kruger National Park usually gets more rain in October than Cape Town. Kruger National Park gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures OctoberKruger National Park 25°C (77°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Kruger National Park
| Kruger National Park | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 28°C (83°F) | 95 mm (3.7 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (82°F) | 98 mm (3.9 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 27°C (81°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 24°C (76°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 21°C (69°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 17°C (63°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 18°C (64°F) | 11 mm (0.4 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 20°C (67°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 23°C (73°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (77°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 26°C (79°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 28°C (82°F) | 92 mm (3.6 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) |
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.