Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Lake Nakuru?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLake Nakuru $117Johannesburg $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Lake Nakuru is $117, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $94. 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 $45Johannesburg $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLake Nakuru $90Johannesburg $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$3.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Transfers Between OR Tambo and Pilanesburg : $174
- Suncity Transfer: $186
- Private executive transfer to sun city or airport/hotels : $115
- Private Van Airport Transfers : Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria: $71
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Sedan Car: $61
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van: $71
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car: $102
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $71
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg To Pilanesberg: $214
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) to Pretoria hotels: $163
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg O.R.Tambo Airport(JNB) to Johannesburg hotels: $114
- Private Transfer JNB Airport to Johannesburg Pretoria or SunCity by Business Car: $76
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 $41Johannesburg $17
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: $40
- Taste of Africa Food Tour: $51
- A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $96
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $213
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lake Nakuru $37Johannesburg $21
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: $219
- Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $190
- Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $95
- Soweto half day tour including Mandela House.Private transport: $68
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $29
- 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,665
- 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $3,998
- 3 Day Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $847
- 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $821
- 3 Days Big 5 Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $1,274
- 4-Day Private Tour Johannesburg and Pretoria - See everything in 4 days : $209
- 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,711
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLake Nakuru $7.74Johannesburg $4.65
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: $8.02
- Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $112
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $225
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.