Which place is cheaper, Antananarivo or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Antananarivo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Antananarivo? 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 Antananarivo?
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.
Antananarivo
Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar; it is also sometimes referred to as Tana. This city is the cultural and political center of Madagascar as a whole. There are multiple universities, museums, and other social venues in the city, as well as a national rugby team. This city has a very apparent French influence.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Wildlife Tours to Madagascar, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Madagascar.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $49Antananarivo $72
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $49, while the average daily cost in Antananarivo is $72. 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 Antananarivo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Antananarivo $30
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Antananarivo $60
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Antananarivo
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Antananarivo? 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: Antananarivo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Antananarivo $14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $27
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antananarivo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Antananarivo:
- Private Airport Transfert Ivato Antananarivo: $43
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Antananarivo?
Prices for flights to both Antananarivo 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 $15Antananarivo $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Feisty Food Tour : $73
- Pan African Cooking Class & Organic food experience: $195
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Antananarivo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Antananarivo.
- Street food and Cooking class tour in Antananarivo: $163
- Cooking And Cuisine Tasting From Tana-Malagasy Fine Foodie Madagascar Tour: $245
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Antananarivo $24
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private 1 hour Cruise on Hartebeespoort Dam: $30
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $50
- Private local authentic soweto Moto taxi experience : $53
- Soweto and Johannesburg Tours: $54
- Soweto Township Tour from Pretoria, Centurion & Midrand every FRIDAY morning: $56
- Day Tour in Soweto : $57
- Pretoria Tour-Voortrekker Monument, Town, Union Buildings: $59
- Taste of Africa Food tasting Experience & Optional Beer Tasting: $60
- Johannesburg exploration tour(Jo-burg/Soweto & Apartheid museum): $65
- Johannesburg & Apartheid Museum Tour : $68
- Johannesburg City Tour(Half-day): $68
- Ultimate Johannesburg full-day with Apartheid Museum tour: $68
Tours and Activities in Antananarivo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Antananarivo are as follows:
- 3 days -Wildlife and Lemur discovery Tour to Andasibe: $684
- Antananarivo Like a Local: Customized Guided Tour: $25
- Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $30
- Antanavario: Private custom tour with a local guide: $24
- Day - Tour Ampefy: $144
- From 9 days unique adventure trip to Tulear: $1,978
- Full Day Private Tour in Antananarivo: $201
- Half-Day Private Tour in Lemur's Park: $150
- Lemur Day Tour at Andasibe Rainforest and Vakona Lodge Reserve: $299
- Madagascar Adventures on Tana, West, East, North, and South: $2,550
- Madagascar: Andasibe and Nosy Be Tour in one week: $2,240
- Private Ambohimanga and Ironwork Shop Tour from Antananarivo: $86
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Antananarivo $9.65
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Antananarivo, we can see that Antananarivo is more expensive. And not only is Pretoria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Antananarivo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Antananarivo 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 Antananarivo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Antananarivo?
Pretoria has a larger population, and is about 16% larger than the population of Antananarivo. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Antananarivo, 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.