A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pretoria vs. Bali for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pretoria or Bali?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Pretoria or Bali? 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 Bali?

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.

Bali

Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.

Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Bali or Pretoria?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Bali is $74. 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 Bali in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pretoria $25
    Bali $42
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pretoria $50
    Bali $84
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Bali

Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Bali? 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.

Hotels in Pretoria


Hotels in Bali


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: Bali Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pretoria $12
    Bali $9.12

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
  • Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
  • One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $89
  • Sun City Private Transfer: $250

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bali

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:


  • Motorbike Rental
    $3.13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:

  • West Beach Nusa Penida Tour with Speedboat Transfer from Sanur: $99
  • Unforgettable Batur Volcano Hiking With Private Transfer: $85
  • Ubud: Sky Bike and Jungle Swing Experience with Transfer: $64
  • Traditional Balinese Massage with Hotel Transfer: $50
  • Sanur Bali to/from Lembongan: Speedboat Transfer: $16
  • Private transfer: Nusa Dua to Bali Airport (DPS): $15
  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport Jimbaran and Uluwatu: $16
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Denpasar International Airport to Nusa Dua Area: $15
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Bali Airport to Jimbaran and Uluwatu Hotel: $16
  • Private Airport Transfer and Others: $50
  • Parasailing Adventure In Bali Including Return Transfer: $46
  • Nusa Dua Departure transfer to Bali Airport International (DPS): $13

Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Bali?

Prices for flights to both Bali 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Pretoria $15
    Bali $21

Typical Food Prices in Bali

Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:


  • Coffee
    $1.25
  • Lunch for Two
    $14
  • Bali Cafe for Two
    $27
  • Lunch for Two
    $8.14
  • Lunch for 2
    $9.02
  • Dinner for 2
    $9.89

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.

  • Private Tour Rafting Uluwatu Kecak Dance Sunset and Dinner in Jimbaran Bay: $28
  • Best Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran Beach Sunset : $29
  • ​​The Balinesia Lu'au - 'A Kampung Bali Experience & Dinner Show': $29
  • Romantic Seafood Dinner under sunset in the Beach: $29
  • Uluwatu Temple Kecak And Dinner Half Day Private Guided Tour: $30
  • Private Tour Uluwatu Sunset Kecak Dance and Dinner at Jimbaran: $31
  • Amazing Private Tour-Uluwatu Kecak Dance and Romantic Seafood Dinner: $33
  • From Ubud: Balinese Cooking Class at an Organic Farm: $33
  • Pirate Dinner Cruise with Shows, Games, and Music: $33
  • Bali Night Market Food Tour From Ubud: $35
  • From Ubud: Authentic Cooking Class in a Local Village: $35
  • Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran: $38

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pretoria $14
    Bali $11

Tours and Activities in Pretoria

For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • History Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $40
  • Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
  • Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
  • Soweto and Johannesburg Tours: $55
  • Soweto Township Tour from Johannesburg - Friday Special: $58
  • Soweto & Johannesburg - walking, Bike , E-scooter, Tuk Tuk Tour : $58
  • Pretoria Tour-Voortrekker Monument, Town, Union Buildings: $59
  • Cullinan Diamond Mine Surface Guided Tour from Pretoria, every MONDAY: $61
  • Soweto Pub-Crawl Tour: $61
  • Taste of Africa Food tasting Experience & Optional Beer Tasting: $61
  • Johannesburg exploration tour(Jo-burg/Soweto & Apartheid museum): $66
  • Private Johannesburg and Soweto with Apartheid museum tour: $69

Typical Entertainment Prices in Bali

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:


  • Spa for Two
    $54
  • Snorkelling Trip
    $13
  • Cooking School
    $28

Tours and Activities in Bali

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:

  • ATV Rafting Jungle Swing Private Guided Tour : $63
  • Bali Telaga Waja White Water Rafting Adventure : $47
  • Lembongan Snorkeling and Island Tour: $80
  • Nusa Penida Snorkeling Adventure (Private & All-Inclusive): $129
  • Private Tour Bali Bird Park And Ubud Tour: $110
  • Private Tours Tegenungan Waterfall Ubud Palace & Market: $80
  • White Water Rafting Adventure at Telaga Waja River : $43
  • (BCR Rafting) Rafting Adventure in Telaga Waja River 18km: $55
  • 2 Day Tours Ubud Art Village, Dance And Other Tourist Attractions: $186
  • 2 Days Private Tours : Watersport And Uluwatu Temple: $124
  • 2-Hour Private Luxury Spa Experience Bali Aromatherapy Massage: $50
  • 3 Days Full Day Tours Tanah Lot Temple The Gate Of Heaven Temple: $300

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pretoria $31
    Bali $3.23


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Bali, we can see that Bali 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 Bali is in Asia, 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 Bali would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bali 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 Bali Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Bali?

Pretoria has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Bali. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Bali, 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.