Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria 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: Pretoria or Cape Town?
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.
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 Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in South Africa, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in South Africa.
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Pretoria Prices
South Africa PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $67Cape Town $187
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $67, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $187. 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 Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $28Cape Town $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $56Cape Town $174
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria 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: Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $13Cape Town $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sun City Private Transfer: $246
- Private Transfer from JHB Airport to Hotels and Around Sandton: $40
- Private Oneway Transfer from Johannesburg to Johannesburg Airport: $34
- Private Airport Transfers in Johannesburg: $61
- Half-Day City Tour with Hotel Transfer: $111
- Full-Day Pretoria City Tour with Guide and Transfers: $120
- Dinokeng Safari with Transfer: $154
- Airport transfers,door to door shuttle: $53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Cape Town International Airport to Cape Town Areas: $26
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $155
- Township Tour by Lwafika Tours and Transfers in Cape Town: $74
- Table Mountain Tour with Round Trip Transfers: $61
- Table Mountain Tour with Cable Car Tickets & Transfers: $220
- Table Mountain Shared Transfer With Hotel Pickup: $50
- Table Mountain Cable Car Tour with Tickets & Hotel Transfers: $96
- Table Mountain &Bo-Kaap Half-DayTour with Tickets &Transfers: $110
- Shopping Mall Transfers-Hassle-Free Ride: $37
- Shark Diving Full Day Guided Return Transfer to Gansbaai from Cape Town: $186
- Robben Island Tour from Pre-Booked Ticket & Transfers: $57
- Robben Island Tour from Cape Town with Tickets and Transfers: $60
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town 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 $28Cape Town $80
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: $84
- Johannesburg: Carnivore Restaurant Dinner with Transfers: $123
- Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $132
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:
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $61
- Cape Town Cooking Class & Wine Pairing with Award-Winning Chef: $69
- PRIVATE South African Home Cooking Class in Cape Town with Annika: $82
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $85
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $87
- Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
- Cape Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $99
- Cape town Dinner Restaurant African Food With Live Music: $110
- Little Mogadishu Food Tour in Bellville, Cape Town: $112
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $112
- The Cape Town Essentials Food Tour: $141
- Private Walking Food Tour in the Mother City CBD: $186
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $16Cape Town $26
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1Day Pilanesburg Big 5 safari experience: $75
- 2 Days Historical Cultural and Sightseeing Tour in Johannesburg: $238
- 2-Day Johannesburg, Soweto and Pretoria Guided Tour: $196
- 3 tours/ cradle human kind caves and Lesedi Cultural village: $162
- 3-Day Private Tour Johannesburg - See everything: $243
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg: $140
- Africa Fun Tours: $109
- Aha Lesedi Cultural Village tour: $177
- Apartheid History of South Africa (Full day Experience with lunch: $149
- Apartheid Museum Guided Tour: $62
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $72
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $72
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- ( Cape town ) Private Winelands Tasting Full Day Tour: $254
- 1 Hour Coastal Catamaran Cruise from Cape Town: $25
- 1 Hour Small Group Quad Bike Adventure in Cape Town: $42
- 1- Hour Catamaran Cruise Cape Town: $25
- 1-Hour Table Mountain Abseiling Experience: $68
- 10 Day South Africa Tour Joburg to Cape Town: $2,823
- 100 % Catch Rate Cape Town Wild Tours: $81
- 12 Day South Africa Tour Johannesburg to Cape Town: $3,578
- 2 Day Cape Escape: Whale Coast, Penguins & Zipline Adventure: $287
- 2 hours sandboarding experience in Capetown: $27
- 2-Day Cape Town Big 6 Pre-Booked Attraction Tickets: $202
- 30 Minute Harbour Cruise in Cape town: $8.06
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $35Cape Town $23
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:
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $37
- Uncork the Cape : Stellenboch Half Day Wine Tour: $56
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $58
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $68
- Wine Tour :Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch with 3 Wine Tastings: $71
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $72
- Wine tasting tour: $78
- Full Day Stellenbosch Paarl and Franschhoek Private Wine Tour: $78
- Cape Point, Penguins & Wine Tasting In Constantia Full Day Tour: $79
- Private Stellenbosch Wine Tour: $99
- Private Full Day Wine Tasting of Western Cape: $99
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town 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 Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria 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.
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.