Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50Cape Town $100
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $100. 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 $25Cape Town $39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Cape Town $78
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 $12Cape Town $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $62
- Pretoria to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) - Departure Private Transfer: $57
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $89
- Kwa Maritane Lodge Transfer from Johannesburg: $165
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town HTL-APT(CPT): $44
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Camps Bay to Cape Town Airport: $18
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $22
- Shared Transfer to Cape Agulhas - Where The Two Oceans Meet From Cape Town F/Day: $184
- Shared Return Transfer to Aquila Safari from Cape Town Day trip: $151
- Robben Island and Long Walk to Freedom with Ticket &Transfer: $88
- Return Transfer to Aquila Safari The Big 5 From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees: $154
- Private Transfer: Cape Town to International Airport (CPT): $48
- Private Transfer: Cape Town to CPT Airport in Business Car: $65
- Private Transfer: CPT Airport to Cape Town in Luxury Van: $80
- Private Transfer from Cape Town Cruise Port to Cape Town hotels: $25
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 $15Cape Town $43
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Pan African Cooking Class & Organic food experience: $202
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:
- Cape Malay Cooking with a Chef Founder: $29
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $41
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $44
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $56
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $57
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $60
- From CapeTown: African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $63
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $63
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $65
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $71
- Private Cooking Class and Meal in Local Wynberg Cape Town Home: $80
- Private Indonesian Asian Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class : $98
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $15Cape Town $23
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Cullinan diamond Mine Day Tour (surface tour): $87
- Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Guided Tour( Safari Experience) : $184
- Pretoria Tour - Voortrekker Monument, Union Buildings, Pretoria : $73
- 2 days Lesedi Cultural & Soweto & apartheid & Johannesburg tour: $224
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $84
- Apartheid History of South Africa (Full day Experience with lunch: $104
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $52
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $52
- Bicycle or Tuk Tuk Soweto Guided Experience : $78
- Canopy Zip lining Tour Private : $101
- City Tour of Pretoria: $140
- Constitutional Hill Highlight Tour: $100
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $140
- Bespoke Tour : Cape Point , Table Mountain & Penguin Colony : $260
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $195
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $300
- Cape Town Aquila Game Reserve Safari Tour with Lunch Included : $251
- Cape Town Two Oceans Scenic Helicopter Experience : $265
- Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $31
- Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-On Hop-Off Tour from Cape Town.: $109
- Long Walk to Freedom in Robben Island including Ticket & Afrogem: $159
- Penguins Boulders Beach and Cape Point Small Group Day Tour: $67
- Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $115
- Private Historical Cape Town City and Scenic Passes Tour.: $109
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $32Cape Town $21
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: $9.77
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $25
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $39
- From 3 Regions Wine Tour with 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $39
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $40
- Half day Wine Tour: $42
- Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $47
- Stellenbosch, Franschhoek & Paarl Wine Tasting Shared Tour: $50
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $51
- Fullday Wine Tour: $52
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $52
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $54
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.