Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Palma de Mallorca?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Palma de Mallorca 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: Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town?
Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca is a resort city and capital of the Spanish island, Mallorca, in the western Mediterranean. It is home to landmarks like Gothic cathedrals and medieval fortresses, but is also host to sandy beaches where the city meets the sea in a backdrop of surrounding mountains. Amidst the city itself you will find it easy to get lost in the charm of cobbled lanes, busy markets, boutiques, and historic courtyards.
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 2-Week Tours in Spain, The Best 3-Week Tours in Spain, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalma de Mallorca €139Cape Town €91
The average daily cost (per person) in Palma de Mallorca is €139, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is €91. 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 Palma de Mallorca and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalma de Mallorca €69Cape Town €36
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalma de Mallorca €138Cape Town €72
Compare Hotels in Palma de Mallorca and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Palma de Mallorca 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: Palma de Mallorca Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palma de Mallorca €25Cape Town €16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Palma de Mallorca
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Palma de Mallorca are as follows:
-
Taxi Ride€6.80
-
Bus Ride€1.25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palma de Mallorca
Also for Palma de Mallorca, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Palma de Mallorca Port to Mallorca Airport (PMI): $35
- Round Trip Transfer from/to Palma Aquarium: $29
- Private transfer from Alcúdia to Mallorca Airport: $175
- Private Transfers from Palma to Palme de Mallorca Airport PMI in Luxury Van: $130
- Private Transfer from Palma de Mallorca city to Mallorca airport (PMI): $59
- Private Transfer from Palma de Mallorca Port to Palma de Mallorca: $35
- Private Transfer from Mallorca airport (PMI) to Soller : $104
- Private Transfer from Mallorca airport (PMI) to Pollensa: $144
- Private Transfer from Mallorca airport (PMI) to Peguera : $96
- Private Transfer from Mallorca airport (PMI) to Palma de Mallorca city: $59
- Private Transfer from Mallorca airport (PMI) to Magaluf: $73
- Private Transfer from Mallorca airport (PMI) to Deyá: $104
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $250
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town HTL-APT(CPT): $44
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town APT-HTL(CPT): $44
- Transport Shuttle Transfer from Constantia to Cape Town Airport: $18
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $159
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Simonstown to Cape Town Airport: $26
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $22
- Shark Cage Diving: Full Day Tour Transfer: $97
- Shared Transfers to and from Safari Game Reserve (excluding entrance fees): $85
- Shared Transfer to Cape Agulhas - Where The Two Oceans Meet From Cape Town F/Day: $183
Is it cheaper to fly into Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Palma de Mallorca 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
-
Food Meals for one dayPalma de Mallorca €45Cape Town €39
Typical Food Prices in Palma de Mallorca
For Palma de Mallorca, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Soda€2.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palma de Mallorca
For Palma de Mallorca, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Spanish Cooking Class Experience in Palma with 5+ Tastings: $21
- Spanish Cooking Experience in Mallorca: $109
- The Award-Winning PRIVATE Food Tour of Mallorca: The 10 Tastings: $130
- Mediterranean cooking experience in nature: $131
- 4-Hour Market Visit and Traditional Cooking Workshop in Palma: $147
- Sailboat Dinner and Movie Night: $650
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:
- Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $28
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $41
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $43
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $55
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $56
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $59
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $61
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $61
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $62
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $71
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
- Private Cooking Class and Meal in Local Wynberg Cape Town Home: $80
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palma de Mallorca €34Cape Town €21
Tours and Activities in Palma de Mallorca
For Palma de Mallorca, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Hour Deluxe Segway Tour from Palma: $83
- 1.5 H Electric Kick-Scooter Tour: $49
- 1H Self-Guided Electric Scooter Tour around Palma de Mallorca: $22
- 2 Hours sightseeing E-Bike Tour in Palma de Mallorca: $44
- 2hrs Snorkeling Experience in Sa Foradada: $47
- 3 Hour Slingshot Sunset Tour from Paguera: $129
- 3 hours quad tour from Paguera: $163
- 4-hour tour on a sailing ship in the Bay of Palma: $104
- 5-hours Tour: Mallorca Inland Charming Villages: $71
- 90 Minute Jet Ski Tour Cave of Sea Lions in Mallorca: $218
- 90' Stand Up Paddle tour in a small group in Cala Ratjada: $49
- AbenteuerDate Alcudia, Interactive Fun Tour in German Language: $9.83
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $137
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $192
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $192
- Cape Point Private Tour withTable Mountain and Penguin Colony : $257
- Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope day tour Up to 10 persons: $66
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $280
- Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $30
- CapeWinelands Private Tour to Stellenbosch,Franschhoek and Paarl: $96
- Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $166
- Long Walk to Freedom in Robben Island including Ticket & Afrogem: $156
- Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $165
- Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $114
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalma de Mallorca €29Cape Town €19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Palma de Mallorca
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Palma de Mallorca are as follows:
-
Coffee€3.10
Sample the Local Flavors in Palma de Mallorca
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Palma de Mallorca:
- Wine tasting with wines from the smallest wineries in Mallorca: $43
- Gourmet Tapas and Wine Tour in Alcudia Old Town: $43
- Guided tour of the Winery with wine tasting, Vineyard and much more!: $49
- Gourmet Tapas and Wine Tour: $53
- Gourmet Tapas and Wine Tour in Palma de Mallorca : $54
- Gastronomic Mallorquin Wine Tasting & local delicacies: $71
- Wine Tasting Experience with Mallorcan Delights in Alcudia: $87
- Sa Clasta Mallorca Wine Tours: $158
- Sa Clasta Wine Tours, Mallorca: $158
- Mallorca Bodega & Olive Tour with Wine Tasting (full day): $163
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:
- Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $7.13
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.60
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $25
- Sip 15 Wines on a 3-Region Wine Tour with Cheese: $38
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $38
- Three Region Wine Tour: $44
- Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $47
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $49
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $51
- Fullday Wine Tour: $51
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $54
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palma de Mallorca and Cape Town, we can see that Palma de Mallorca is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Palma de Mallorca is in Europe and Cape Town is in Africa, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Cape Town would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cape Town 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 Palma de Mallorca would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Palma de Mallorca than you might in Cape Town.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Palma de Mallorca Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Palma de Mallorca. When comparing the sizes of Palma de Mallorca 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 Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Cape Town is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Palma de Mallorca has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town in the Summer?
Both Cape Town and Palma de Mallorca are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Many visitors come to Palma de Mallorca in the summer for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Palma de Mallorca is a little warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the summer temperatures in Palma de Mallorca in July average around 24°C (76°F), and Cape Town averages at about 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 Palma de Mallorca. Palma de Mallorca usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Town during summer. Palma de Mallorca gets 334 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Palma de Mallorca usually receives less rain than Cape Townin January. Palma de Mallorca gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
-
Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryPalma de Mallorca 24°C (76°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Palma de Mallorca during the autumn are popular places to visit. Most visitors come to Palma de Mallorca for the hiking trails, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area during these months.
In October, Palma de Mallorca is generally around the same temperature as Cape Townin April. Daily temperatures in Palma de Mallorca average around 19°C (66°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Palma de Mallorca. In the autumn, Palma de Mallorca often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Palma de Mallorca gets 204 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
Palma de Mallorca usually gets more rain in October than Cape Townin April. Palma de Mallorca gets 58 mm (2.3 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
-
Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilPalma de Mallorca 19°C (66°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Palma de Mallorca and Cape Town. The winter months attract visitors to Palma de Mallorca because of the shopping scene and the cuisine.
Palma de Mallorca is cooler than Cape Town in the winter. The daily temperature in Palma de Mallorca averages around 11°C (52°F) in January, and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F)in July.
Palma de Mallorca usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Palma de Mallorca gets 164 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Palma de Mallorca usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Palma de Mallorca gets 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
-
Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyPalma de Mallorca 11°C (52°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Palma de Mallorca or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Palma de Mallorca as well as Cape Town. The beaches and the natural beauty are the main draw to Palma de Mallorca this time of year.
In the spring, Palma de Mallorca is cooler than Cape Town. Typically, the spring temperatures in Palma de Mallorca in April average around 14°C (57°F), and Cape Town averages at about 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 Palma de Mallorca this time of the year. In the spring, Palma de Mallorca often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Palma de Mallorca gets 210 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Palma de Mallorca usually gets more rain in April than Cape Townin October. Palma de Mallorca gets 46 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
-
Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberPalma de Mallorca 14°C (57°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Palma de Mallorca
| Palma de Mallorca | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 11°C (52°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 12°C (53°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 12°C (54°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (57°F) | 46 mm (1.8 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 17°C (63°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 22°C (71°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 24°C (76°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 25°C (77°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 23°C (73°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 19°C (66°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 15°C (58°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 12°C (54°F) | 38 mm (1.5 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.