Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Mombasa?
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 Mombasa 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 Mombasa 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: Mombasa or Cape Town?
Mombasa
Mombasa is a beautiful, large city on the eastern coast of Kenya, bordering the Indian Ocean. The city is famous for its stunning beaches, friendly locals, and diverse marine life. Mombasa experiences a tropical climate year round, meaning temperatures rarely drop below 70° Fahrenheit. The rainiest months of the year are April and May and the driest months are January and February. Temperatures tend to be more mild from May through October, usually in the 70's and 80's. Temperatures get much warmer from November through April, with daily averages reaching the high 90's.
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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Mombasa Prices
Kenya PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMombasa $81Cape Town $187
The average daily cost (per person) in Mombasa is $81, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $187. 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 Mombasa and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMombasa $26Cape Town $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMombasa $52Cape Town $174
Compare Hotels in Mombasa and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Mombasa 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: Mombasa Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mombasa $18Cape Town $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mombasa
Also for Mombasa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer From Mombasa (Moi Airport/SGR) To Diani: $35
- Private Transfer from Mombasa Port to Mombasa Moi Airport (MBA): $56
- Private Transfer from Mombasa Moi Airport (MBA) to Mombasa Port: $56
- Private Transfer from Mombasa Cruise Port to Mombasa City Hotels: $56
- Private Transfer from Mombasa City to Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA): $34
- Private Transfer from Mombasa: $22
- Private Transfer from Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA) to Mombasa City: $34
- Private Departure Transfer in Mombasa: $80
- Private Day Tour of Mombasa City with Transfers: $104
- Private Arrival Transfer in Mombasa: $60
- Mombasa Kenya Minivan Airport Transfer: $100
- Mombasa Airport Transfers to Mtwapa: $130
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: $290
- Van for 1-7 Passenger Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $50
- Unguided Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Incl Cape Town Transfers): $174
- Transfer from Cape Town International Airport to Cape Town Areas: $26
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $156
- Township Tour by Lwafika Tours and Transfers in Cape Town: $75
- Table Mountain Tour with Round Trip Transfers: $61
- Table Mountain Tour with Cable Car Tickets & Transfers: $220
- Table Mountain Shared Transfer With Hotel Pickup: $50
- Table Mountain Cable Car Tour with Tickets & Hotel Transfers: $96
- Table Mountain Cable Car Ticket with Town Transfer: $84
- Table Mountain &Bo-Kaap Half-DayTour with Tickets &Transfers: $110
Is it cheaper to fly into Mombasa or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Mombasa 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 dayMombasa $41Cape Town $80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mombasa
For Mombasa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Special African Dinner: $46
- Mombasa Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $49
- Swahili Street Food Tour: $55
- Diani Beach Sunset Dhow Cruise with Dinner: $69
- Tamarind Dhow Dinner Cruise & Nightlife: $133
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
- Cape Town Cooking Class & Wine Pairing with Award-Winning Chef: $69
- Private Indonesian Cultural Cooking Class: $75
- PRIVATE South African Home Cooking Class in Cape Town with Annika: $82
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $85
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $87
- Sunset At Signal and Dinner Privat: $87
- Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $93
- Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
- PRIVATE Cape Malay Cooking Class in Lorette’s Cape Town Home: $99
- Cape Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $99
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $102
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mombasa $18Cape Town $26
Tours and Activities in Mombasa
For Mombasa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Day Group tour to Tsavo East National Park with Buffet Lunch: $160
- 1 Day Malindi day Tour (minimum 2 Pax): $194
- 1 Day Wasini Dolphin Tour From Diani Beach: $98
- 1 Day Wasini Snorkelling Tour: $195
- 4 Hours Guided Mombasa City Tour: $45
- Chale Island Kenya Tour in 4WD Vehicle: $295
- Day Tour Experience to Tsavo East National Park: $190
- Day Tour To Shimba Hill Reserve From Mombasa: $270
- Diani Beach Village Tour and Wildlife Park Day Trip: $218
- Elky Diani Glass Bottom Tour to Robinson Island: $35
- Fort Jesus & Mombasa Old Town Walking CityTour: $38
- Full Day Group Joining Tour In Mombasa From Kilindin Harbour Port: $140
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 ) Private Winelands Tasting Full Day Tour: $254
- 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: $26
- 1-Hour Table Mountain Abseiling Experience: $69
- 10 Day South Africa Tour Joburg to Cape Town: $2,823
- 100 % Catch Rate Cape Town Wild Tours: $81
- 12 Day South Africa Tour Johannesburg to Cape Town: $3,578
- 2 Day Cape Escape: Whale Coast, Penguins & Zipline Adventure: $288
- 2 hours sandboarding experience in Capetown: $27
- 2-Day Cape Town Big 6 Pre-Booked Attraction Tickets: $202
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $140
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMombasa $8.80Cape 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
- 3-Days:Cape Town Tour Paragliding &Wine Tasting & Cape Peninsula: $28
- Urban Wine Tasting: $31
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $37
- Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour and Constantia Wine Tasting: $40
- Cape Town Wine Tour: 3 Wineries — Babylonstoren, Fairview & Spier: $48
- Cape Winelands Discovery: Small Group Wine Tasting Full-Day Tour: $50
- Cape Town Hostel Pub Crawl & LinkUps: $52
- Uncork the Cape : Stellenboch Half Day Wine Tour: $56
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $58
- Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Stellenbosch: $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mombasa and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Mombasa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Mombasa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mombasa 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 Mombasa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mombasa Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mombasa or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Mombasa. When comparing the sizes of Mombasa 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.
When is the best time to visit Mombasa or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Mombasa experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Mombasa or Cape Town in the Summer?
Both Cape Town and Mombasa are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Mombasa throughout the year.
Mombasa is a little warmer than Cape Town in the summer. The daily temperature in Mombasa averages around 24°C (75°F) in July, and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in January.
It's quite sunny in Cape Town. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Mombasa. Mombasa usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during summer. Mombasa gets 216 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Mombasa usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Mombasa gets 80 mm (3.1 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 July and JanuaryMombasa 24°C (75°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Mombasa or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Mombasa during the autumn are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Mombasa because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In the autumn, Mombasa is a little warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Mombasa in October average around 26°C (79°F), and Cape Town averages at about 18°C (64°F)in April.
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Mombasa. In the autumn, Mombasa often gets more sunshine than Cape Townin April. Mombasa gets 291 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Mombasa. Mombasa usually gets more rain in October than Cape Townin April. Mombasa gets 100 mm (3.9 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 October and AprilMombasa 26°C (79°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Mombasa or Cape Town in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Mombasa and Cape Town. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Mombasa year-round.
In January, Mombasa is generally much warmer than Cape Townin July. Daily temperatures in Mombasa average around 27°C (81°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F).
In Mombasa, it's very sunny this time of the year. Mombasa usually receives more sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Mombasa gets 283 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Mombasa usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Mombasa gets 40 mm (1.6 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 January and JulyMombasa 27°C (81°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Mombasa or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Mombasa as well as Cape Town. Mombasa attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Mombasa is much warmer than Cape Town in the spring. The daily temperature in Mombasa averages around 27°C (81°F) in April, and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F)in October.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Mombasa this time of the year. In the spring, Mombasa often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Mombasa gets 230 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Mombasa receives a lot of rain in the spring. Mombasa usually gets more rain in April than Cape Townin October. Mombasa gets 150 mm (5.9 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 April and OctoberMombasa 27°C (81°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Mombasa
| Mombasa | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 27°C (81°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 27°C (81°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (82°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (81°F) | 150 mm (5.9 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 26°C (79°F) | 260 mm (10.2 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (75°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 24°C (75°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 25°C (77°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 26°C (79°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 26°C (79°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 100 mm (3.9 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.