Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Paris?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Paris or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Paris or Cape Town? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Paris or Cape Town?
Paris
Paris is a dream destination for many people. It's location on the river Seine contributes to its stunning beauty and you can spend many days wandering through its wonderfully diverse neighborhoods. It's known as a city of culture, fashion, food and fun. There is never a shortage of entertainment and activities around town and a highlight of many people's trips to Paris is to explore the city at night, when it truly comes to life. It is not hard to see why this city has received the nickname as the "City of Lights."
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 Historical Tours in France, The Best 10-Day Tours in France, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayParis €232Cape Town €91
The average daily cost (per person) in Paris is €232, 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 Paris and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personParis €151Cape Town €36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomParis €302Cape Town €72
Compare Hotels in Paris and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Paris 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: Paris Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Paris €21Cape Town €16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Paris
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Paris are as follows:
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Metro€6.40
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Train from Airport€9.00
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Metro tickets€6.80
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Train€20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Paris
Also for Paris, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- transfer from CDG/ORLY airport to Paris ,multilingual driver: $44
- Versailles: Skip-the-Line Day Tour & Transfer from Paris: $2,583
- Versailles Round-Trip Transfers: Multiple Departures: $53
- Versailles Palace Guided Tour with Coach Transfer from Paris: $99
- VERSAILLES CASTLE Round-Trip Transfer from Paris by Luxury Van: $191
- VERSAILLES CASTLE Private Round-Trip Transfer from Paris in Van: $191
- VERSAILLES CASTLE Private Round-Trip Transfer from Paris by Sedan: $187
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Paris HTL-APT (CDG): $121
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Paris APT-HTL (CDG): $104
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Orly HTL-APT (ORY): $104
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Orly APT-HTL (ORY): $104
- Transfert Privé Aéroport Charles de Gaulle vers Paris: $95
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From 3-Day Safari and Coastal Tour with Transfer: $508
- From Group Transfer Only to Aquilla Game Reserve: $459
- Big 5 Aquila Safari Private Transfer with Park Fee From Cape Town: $300
- Jeep Dune Adventure Tour, Sandboarding & Transfer: $279
- Shark Cage Diving & Penguins Tour to Gansbaai with private transfers: $274
- Cape Town Morning or Afternoon Safari including private transfer: $254
- Aquila Safari Game Drive, Lunch & Shared Transfers from Cape Town: $252
- Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $250
- Pvt Airport to Hout Bay Transfer: $243
- Full Day Private Chauffeur and Transfer Services in Cape Town: $240
- 1 Day Helderberg Valley Winelands Tour with Private Transfers: $232
- Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Including Cape Town Transfers): $230
Is it cheaper to fly into Paris or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Paris 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 dayParis €41Cape Town €39
Typical Food Prices in Paris
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Paris:
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Ice Cream€8.00
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Breakfast€7.00
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Breakfast for 2€30
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Dinner on River Cruise€86
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Dinner€57
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Cheese€13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Paris
For Paris, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 1h30 Cooking Activity in English: $22
- Hard Rock Cafe Paris with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner : $33
- Authentic Indian Dinner in Paris : $49
- Paris Capitaine Fracasse 3 Course Seine River Dinner Cruise: $52
- Paris : Seine River Bistronomic Dinner Cruise: $53
- Seine Cruise Departure from Pont Alexandre III with Dinner Included: $64
- Seine River Panoramic Views Dinner Cruise: $67
- Eat, play, love Montmartre: 3H Walking Food Tour -Kids friendly-: $68
- No Diet Club - Paris : Night food tour - Montmartre: $68
- Paris en Scene 3 Course Seine River Dinner Cruise: $68
- 1-Hour Sightseeing Cruise with Bistro Dinner: $68
- Le Marais Guided Food Tour with Tastings: $69
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Paris €77Cape Town €21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Paris
For Paris, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Louvre Entry for Two€18
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Admission to Pantheon€5.00
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Catacombs (2)€23
Tours and Activities in Paris
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Paris.
- Île de la Cité: Guided Tour + Sainte-Chapelle Fast Track Entry: $55
- A Day at Parc Saint-Paul Ticket and Transport Included: $208
- Day Tour- Normandy Omaha Beach - Cemetery - Cider Tasting: $260
- Guided Tour to Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur Chronicles: $54
- Notre-Dame Walking Tour with Skip The Line Sainte-Chapelle Entry: $61
- Paris Boat River Seine Cruise Sightseeing TICKETS: $22
- Paris Christmas Market Tour: $297
- Paris City Center Self-Guided Walking Tour : $11
- Paris Entrance Ticket to the Aura Invalides Immersive Show: $24
- Paris Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide: $267
- Paris Sightseeing Tour with Seine River Cruise from Disneyland®: $94
- Private Tour in Medieval Paris with Latin Quarter and Panthéon: $251
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayParis €24Cape Town €19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Paris
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Paris are as follows:
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Wine€14
Sample the Local Flavors in Paris
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Paris:
- Daily Paris Pub Crawl : Meet, Drink & Party: $11
- Original Pub Crawl: $16
- Daily Paris Pub Crawl : Meet, Drink & Party: $20
- Latin Quarter Guided Pub Crawl to Bars and Clubs: $22
- Paris Bar Crawl: $24
- Paris Pub Crawl: $25
- Audio guided tour and wine tasting at Caves du Louvre: $32
- Paris Craft gin distillery guided Tour & Tasting in French: $32
- Wine Museum Guided Tour with Wine Tasting: $39
- Guided Visit and Wine Tasting in a Royal Wine Cellar in Paris: $39
- Vineyard tour and wine tasting in Davron: $43
- Paris St Germain Wine Tasting: $43
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 Paris and Cape Town, we can see that Paris is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Paris 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 Paris would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Paris 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 Paris Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Paris or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 61% larger than the population of Paris. When comparing the sizes of Paris 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 Paris 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 Paris has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Paris or Cape Town in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Paris and Cape Town. The summer months attract visitors to Paris because of the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Paris is around the same temperature as Cape Town. Typically, the summer temperatures in Paris in July average around 20°C (68°F), and Cape Town averages at about 21°C (70°F)in January.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Paris, it's very sunny this time of the year. Paris usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during summer. Paris gets 241 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Paris usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Paris gets 58 mm (2.3 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 JanuaryParis 20°C (68°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Paris or Cape Town in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Paris as well as Cape Town. The city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Paris this time of year.
In October, Paris is generally cooler than Cape Townin April. Daily temperatures in Paris average around 13°C (56°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. In the autumn, Paris often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Paris gets 127 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
Paris usually gets more rain in October than Cape Townin April. Paris gets 55 mm (2.2 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 AprilParis 13°C (56°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Paris or Cape Town in the Winter?
Both Cape Town and Paris are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Paris for the museums, the Christmas ambience, the shopping scene, the theater shows, and the cuisine.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Paris. Paris is much colder than Cape Town in the winter. The daily temperature in Paris averages around 5°C (40°F) in January, and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F)in July.
Paris usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Paris gets 62 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Paris usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Paris gets 55 mm (2.2 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 JulyParis 5°C (40°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Paris or Cape Town in the Spring?
Both Cape Town and Paris during the spring are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Paris in the spring for the activities around the city and the natural beauty.
In the spring, Paris is cooler than Cape Town. Typically, the spring temperatures in Paris in April average around 11°C (52°F), and Cape Town averages at about 16°C (61°F)in October.
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the spring, Paris often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Paris gets 172 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Paris usually gets more rain in April than Cape Townin October. Paris gets 50 mm (1.9 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 OctoberParis 11°C (52°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Paris
| Paris | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 5°C (40°F) | 55 mm (2.2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 6°C (42°F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 8°C (47°F) | 52 mm (2.1 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 11°C (52°F) | 50 mm (1.9 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 15°C (59°F) | 62 mm (2.4 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 18°C (64°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 20°C (68°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 20°C (67°F) | 46 mm (1.8 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 17°C (63°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 13°C (56°F) | 55 mm (2.2 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 8°C (47°F) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 5°C (42°F) | 55 mm (2.2 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.