Which place is cheaper, Belfast or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Belfast?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Belfast? 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 Belfast?
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.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and the second largest city on the island of Ireland after Dublin. It has a population of about 270,000 and almost 500,000 in the metropolitan area. It's located on the mouth of the River Lagan and is set between many low hills that rise up around it.
One of the most famous, and tragic times in Belfast's history is referred to as "The Troubles." During this time, between 1969 and 1997, there were many bomb and gun attacks throughout the city. This left many areas as essentially no-go zones. Neighborhoods became completely lawless do to the lack of security and the damage is still visible today in some areas. In 1998 the Good Friday Agreement was signed and much of the politically motivated violence ended. The city actually received praise recently as the safest city in the UK based on crime rate. Tourism is growing and many visitors enjoy seeing this less popular travel destination. The city has a lot of character and will give you an interesting take on Irish and British history.
Belfast has a temperate climate and temperature and precipitation have little variation throughout the year. The climate is influenced by the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, making it warmer than many cities that are found at the same latitude. Rain is common with precipitation falling an average of 157 days a year. Snow is much less common, although it does happen about ten days a year. The warmest days during the summer may reach a temperature around 25 degrees Celsius and the coldest days have lows that drop just below freezing.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Budget Tours to United Kingdom, and The Best Tours for Seniors to United Kingdom.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50Belfast $167
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Belfast is $167. 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 Belfast in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Belfast $86
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Belfast $172
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Belfast
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Belfast? 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: Belfast Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Belfast $18
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Belfast
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Belfast:
- Private Transfer from Dundonald to Belfast Airport (BFS): $94
- Private Transfer from Carryduff to Belfast Airport (BFS): $94
- Private Transfer from Belfast City to Belfast Airport (BFS): $84
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Whiterock: $62
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Warrenpoint: $135
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Tynan: $147
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Trillick : $202
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Tandragee: $122
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Strangford: $110
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Strabane : $227
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Stewartstown : $151
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Rosslea: $214
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Belfast?
Prices for flights to both Belfast 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 $15Belfast $64
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Belfast
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Belfast.
- Guided Craft Beer and Street Food Tour: $82
- Belfast Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $108
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Belfast $23
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 Belfast
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Belfast are as follows:
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Movie Tickets$10
Tours and Activities in Belfast
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Belfast are as follows:
- Belfast A Music and StreetArt Experience. Small Gr Walking Tour : $25
- Belfast The Troubles cab tour Adventure 2hrs personal guide : $113
- Historical Private Tour in Belfast : $76
- (Small Group) Shore Tour from Giant's Causeway and Belfast Day Trip: $147
- 2 hour Private Political History & Murals Tour Belfast: $70
- 2 hours Belfast Original Drivers The Troubles Black Taxi Tour: $93
- 3 Hour extended Murals Tour: $102
- 4 Hours Private Guided Belfast City Tour: $254
- A History of Terror - Belfast City Centre Walking Tour : $28
- Antrim Coast Carrickfergus and Gobbins Cliff Experience: $439
- Award winners Express 2 hrs Black Taxi tours and Mural Taxi Tour: $159
- Belfast Famous Black taxi political mural peace wall tour 2 hour: $126
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Belfast $9.86
Sample the Local Flavors in Belfast
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Belfast:
- Pub Crawl and Bar Walking Tour with Two Drinks: $15
- Explore & Taste: Distillery Tour at Titanic Distillers: $32
- Belfast Giant's Causeway and Titanic Distillery Whiskey Tour: $69
- VIP Skip-the Line Titanic Museum and Distillery Tasting Tour: $119
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Belfast, we can see that Belfast 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 Belfast is in Europe, 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 Belfast would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Belfast 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 Belfast Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Belfast?
Pretoria has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Belfast. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Belfast, 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.