Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Lake Nakuru?
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 Lake Nakuru or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Lake Nakuru and Cape Town. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Lake Nakuru or Cape Town?
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya's 23 National Parks, also qualifying as one of the two Premium Parks in the country. Located in central Kenya, about 90 miles west of Nairobi, the area encompasses a large lake as well as the surrounding wooded grasslands. A naturalist's paradise, Lake Nakuru is home to wildlife like flamingos, other water birds, and the black and white rhinoceros.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Kenya, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Kenya, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Lake Nakuru Prices
Kenya PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLake Nakuru $145Cape Town $191
The average daily cost (per person) in Lake Nakuru is $145, 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 Lake Nakuru and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLake Nakuru $44Cape Town $89
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLake Nakuru $88Cape Town $178
Compare Hotels in Lake Nakuru and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Lake Nakuru 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: Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lake Nakuru $41Cape Town $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- West Coast Wonders Full Day Tour with Private Transfer: $292
- Van for 1-7 Passenger Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $50
- Unguided Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Incl Cape Town Transfers): $175
- Transfer from Cape Town International Airport to Cape Town Areas: $22
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $156
- Table Mountain Tour with Round Trip Transfers: $61
- Table Mountain Tour Tickets and Transfers: $99
- Table Mountain Guided with Cable Car Tickets & Hotel Transfers: $116
- Table Mountain Cable Car Tour with Tickets & Hotel Transfers: $78
- Swift Ride Airport Transfers: $63
- Shopping Mall Transfers-Hassle-Free Ride: $38
- Safari Game Drive, Lunch & Transfers from Cape Town: $178
Is it cheaper to fly into Lake Nakuru or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Lake Nakuru 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 dayLake Nakuru $70Cape Town $82
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:
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $62
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $63
- Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class: $75
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $85
- Sunset At Signal and Dinner Privat: $88
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $97
- Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $100
- Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Lorette’s Cape Town Home: $100
- Cape Town Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $102
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $113
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lake Nakuru $36Cape Town $26
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: $256
- 1 Hour Coastal Catamaran Cruise from Cape Town: $26
- 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: $291
- 2-Day Cape Town Big 6 Pre-Booked Attraction Tickets: $203
- 3 Hours private Cape Town Historical Walking Tour: $91
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLake Nakuru $7.60Cape 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: $38
- 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: $56
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $58
- Full-Day Stellenbosch Wine Tasting Tour: $60
- Wine Tasting, Lion Park and Giraffe House Tour: $65
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lake Nakuru and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Lake Nakuru much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lake Nakuru would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lake Nakuru 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 Lake Nakuru.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lake Nakuru Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
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.