Which place is cheaper, Adelaide or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Adelaide?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Adelaide? 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: Pretoria or Adelaide?
Pretoria
Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the often overlooked capital city of the State of South Australia. It's also the fifth largest city in the country. Despite being skipped by most travelers, Adelaide is an interesting city to explore and has a decent amount to offer open minded travelers. It has some fascinating architecture, unique shopping, and wonderful cafes and restaurants. Part of the appeal of Adelaide is its location in the midst of Australia's wine regions, including McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Clare Valley. Any of these destinations could be visited as a day trip from Adelaide.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Sydney.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50Adelaide $111
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Adelaide is $111. 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 Pretoria and Adelaide in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Adelaide $66
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Adelaide $132
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Adelaide
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Adelaide? 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: Adelaide Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Adelaide $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $88
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $27
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Adelaide
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Adelaide are as follows:
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Shuttle from the Train Station$3.63
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Adelaide
Also for Adelaide, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Adelaide city to Adelaide Cruise Port: $36
- Private Transfer from Adelaide Airport to Adelaide Port: $36
- Private Arrival Transfer: Adelaide Airport to Hotel: $67
- One Day Kangaroo Island Sip & See tour with return ferry transfers from Adelaide: $250
- Arrival Private Transfers: Adelaide Airport ADL to Adelaide in Business Car: $62
- Full-Day Private City Tour with Hotel Transfers: $496
- ADL Airport Private Transfer to Downtown: $119
- Adelaide Private Airport and City Transfer: $110
- Adelaide Cruise Port: Private Transfer to Adelaide city: $254
- Adelaide Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Adelaide: $57
- Adelaide Airport(ADL)to Adelaide city - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
- Adelaide Airport (ADL): Private Transfer to Adelaide hotels: $220
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Adelaide?
Prices for flights to both Adelaide and Pretoria 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 dayPretoria $15Adelaide $31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- HandleBar Bike Tour with Pub Stops & Dinner Option: $23
- Local Food Tour and Tastings with Guide: $79
- Four Hours Cooking Class in Adelaide Hills: $124
- Cooking classes Goolwa: $130
- Small-Group River Murray Dark Sky and Sunset Tour with Dinner: $194
- Pipi Catching and Cooking Experience in Goolwa : $233
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Adelaide $14
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Guided Tour( Safari Experience) : $182
- 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $91
- 4-Hours Pretoria Private History Tour : $83
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $82
- Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: $199
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Artistic Half Day Tour of Johannesburg : $86
- Cheer on the Cheetah Run for Conservation Adventure: $194
- Cradle of Human Kind & Lion & Rhino Park Tour Full day Tour Private : $188
- Cradle of Human Kind Tour and Lesedi Cultural Village Day Tour Private : $143
- Cradle of Humankind Caves Half Day Tour: $130
Tours and Activities in Adelaide
For Adelaide, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2h Wine Experience, Vineyard walk, 6 wines, charcuterie board: $60
- 3-Day Yorkes Peninsula Coastal Wilderness Tour from Adelaide: $1,649
- 5-Day Flinders Ranges & Outback Eco Tour from Adelaide: $1,980
- 90 Minute Port River Dolphin & Ships Graveyard Cruise: $59
- Abseiling Adventure in Adelaide: $100
- Adelaide Central Market Delicious Lunch Tour: $112
- Adelaide Central Market Tour with Lunch: $122
- Adelaide Central Markets: Food Walking Tour: $46
- Adelaide City Highlights Tour: $53
- Adelaide City to Sea Bike Tour: $112
- Adelaide Gaol Adults Ghost Tour & Investigation: $28
- Adelaide Hills Day Tour. Winery Cellar Doors: $167
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Adelaide $23
Sample the Local Flavors in Adelaide
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Adelaide:
- Private Pinot Noir Wine Tasting & Platter in Adelaide Hills: $30
- River Torrens Desserts And Wine Tour: $43
- McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting Tour: $52
- McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting and Sightseeing (Half-day Afternoon): $53
- Highlights, Hahndorf, & McLaren Vale Wine Tastings: $79
- Adelaide Highlights, Hahndorf & McLaren Vale Wine Tasting and Sightseeing Tour: $80
- Barossa Wine Tasting shared tours: $110
- From Barossa Valley Food and Wine Tour: $112
- The Barossa Valley Premium Wine Tour with Lunch: $112
- Barossa Valley Full-Day Wine Tasting & Maggie Beers Farm Join Us: $113
- Barossa Valley Wine Tours - Small Private Groups : $126
- Barossa Small Group Wine Tours - Local Guide: $132
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Adelaide, we can see that Adelaide is more expensive. And not only is Pretoria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pretoria is in Africa and Adelaide is in Pacific, 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 Pretoria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pretoria 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 Adelaide would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Adelaide than you might in Pretoria.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pretoria Expensive? and Is Adelaide Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Adelaide?
Pretoria has a larger population, and is about 51% larger than the population of Adelaide. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Adelaide, 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.