Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Moshi?
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 Moshi or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Moshi or Cape Town, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Moshi or Cape Town?
Moshi
Moshi is a town in northern Tanzania, near the Kenyan border. It’s known as a gateway to Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. Trails run up the mountain's cloud-ringed, snow-capped dome, through alpine forests and meadows home to elephants and leopards. The noticeably clean capital of the densely populated Kilimanjaro region sits at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro and makes a good introduction to the splendors of the north. It's a low-key place with an appealing blend of African and Asian influences and a self-sufficient, prosperous feel, due in large part to its being the center of one of Tanzania's major coffee-growing regions. Virtually all visitors are here to climb Mt Kilimanjaro or to recover after having done so. Yet there’s much more to do, including cultural tours and hikes on the mountain’s lower slopes.
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 Wildlife Tours to Tanzania, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Tanzania, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Moshi Prices
Tanzania PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMoshi $84Cape Town $191
The average daily cost (per person) in Moshi is $84, 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 Moshi and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMoshi $36Cape Town $89
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMoshi $72Cape Town $178
Compare Hotels in Moshi and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Moshi 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: Moshi Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Moshi $17Cape Town $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Moshi
Also for Moshi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Tanzania Private Airport Transfer: $67
- Reliable Kilimanjaro Airport Transfer to Your Hotel: $55
- Private Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport to Moshi: $47
- Private Airport transfers from any hotel in Zanzibar (Departures): $30
- Moshi/Arusha: Private Transfer from Kilimanjaro Airport: $70
- Kilimanjaro Airport Transfer to Moshi/Arusha: $107
- Kilimanjaro Airport Private Transfer from/to Moshi: $49
- Kilimanjaro Airport Private Transfer: $50
- Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) Private Transfer to Mount Kilimanjaro: $78
- Airport transfer: $45
- Airport Transfer between Moshi and Kilimanjaro International Airport: $54
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 Moshi or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Moshi 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 dayMoshi $34Cape Town $82
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Moshi
For Moshi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Kili View Tanzanian Cooking Class: $26
- Cooking class and Coffee tour in Moshi Kilimanjaro: $40
- Authentic Chagga Cooking Class: Farm-to-Table Experience in Moshi: $50
- Market-to-Table Cooking Class with Local Chagga Host: $79
- Private Market Tour and Tanzanian Cooking Class in Moshi: $86
- Spice Picking with Zanzibar Cooking Class: $193
- 3 Days Chaga Culture: Cooking, NGO Projects, Banana Beer, Hiking: $209
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: $86
- 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.Moshi $19Cape Town $26
Tours and Activities in Moshi
For Moshi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- #1 Best Tanzania Safari Tarangire Day tour Adventure: $200
- 1 Day Mount Kilimanjaro Trek Marangu Route Adventure: $235
- 1 Day Tour to Materuni Waterfalls and Coffee Tour: $128
- 1 Full Day to Materuni Waterfalls, Coffee Tour & Chemka Hotspring: $95
- 1-Day Moshi Villages bike tour: $50
- 1_Day Bike Tour to Chemka Hotspring: $80
- Authentic Moshi experience coffee, markets & local life(7hr tour): $100
- Best 1# day Kilimanjaro trek Machame with Kilinge Adventure: $100
- Best Kilimanjaro hiking day trip tour with Kilinge Adventures: $80
- Bodaboda Experience to Materuni Waterfall and Coffee Tour: $52
- Chemka Hot Springs Tour from Moshi: $59
- Day Tour at Maasai Village In Tanzania: $156
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 dayMoshi $3.37Cape 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 Moshi and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Moshi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Moshi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Moshi 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 Moshi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Moshi Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Moshi or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Moshi. When comparing the sizes of Moshi 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.
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.