Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg?
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 Johannesburg. 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 Johannesburg?
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.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Kenya, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Kenya, The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, and The Best Eco Tours in South Africa.
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Lake Nakuru Prices
Kenya PricesJohannesburg Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLake Nakuru $144Johannesburg $107
The average daily cost (per person) in Lake Nakuru is $144, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $107. 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 Johannesburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLake Nakuru $44Johannesburg $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLake Nakuru $88Johannesburg $108
Compare Hotels in Lake Nakuru and Johannesburg
Looking for a hotel in Lake Nakuru or Johannesburg? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lake Nakuru $41Johannesburg $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Johannesburg HTL-APT (JNB): $38
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Johannesburg APT-HTL (JNB): $38
- Transfers Between OR Tambo and Pilanesburg : $199
- Tour operator. airport and hotels transfers chauffeur and safari tours services.: $31
- Suncity Transfer: $197
- South Africa Airport Transfer, Johannesburg Guided day Tour: $134
- Shuttle Transfer from Johannesburg Airport to Hazyview: $67
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Sedan Car: $63
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van: $74
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car: $106
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Sedan Car: $63
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $74
Is it cheaper to fly into Lake Nakuru or Johannesburg?
Prices for flights to both Johannesburg 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 $70Johannesburg $29
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: $50
- Unique street food tour from at least 6 different cultures!: $60
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $63
- Zulu Food Cooking & Dining Experience with a local Chef: $81
- A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
- Zulu Food Cooking and Dining Experience with a local Chef: $101
- Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $118
- Lesedi Cultural Village with lunch or dinner cultural food: $126
- Soweto Township Tour with Cooking Class: $137
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lake Nakuru $36Johannesburg $21
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Full-day Johannesburg Bike Or Walking tour - With Transport: $76
- Golf Tour, Sun City , Gary Player Course - Rated the Best: $231
- Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $124
- Private Full Day Johannesburg apartheid museum and Soweto Tour : $112
- Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $113
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $38
- 1 Day Pilanesberg Safari with Tour Guide: $271
- 2 Days Kruger Fly-in Big 5 Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $1,014
- 2-Day Kruger National Park Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $953
- 2-Day Kruger Overland Big 5 Safari Tour: $858
- 3 Day Kruger Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $952
- 4 Day Kruger Fly in Big 5 Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $1,483
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLake Nakuru $7.58Johannesburg $4.69
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: $8.42
- Wine Tasting: $11
- Hop on Hop Off Johannesburg Pub Crawl: $12
- Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $139
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lake Nakuru and Johannesburg, we can see that Lake Nakuru is more expensive. And not only is Johannesburg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Lake Nakuru would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lake Nakuru 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 Lake Nakuru Expensive? and Is Johannesburg 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.