A Travel Price Comparison for South Africa Pretoria vs. Cape Town for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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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.

Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Pretoria?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $48, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $96. 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
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pretoria $24
    Cape Town $38
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pretoria $48
    Cape Town $76
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.

Hotels in Pretoria


Hotels in Cape Town


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pretoria $11
    Cape Town $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria

Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Sun City Private Transfer: $250
  • Sun City & Pilanesberg Transfers: $250
  • Shuttle Transfer from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit: $54
  • Pretoria to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) - Departure Private Transfer: $55
  • Kwa Maritane Lodge Transfer from Johannesburg: $160
  • Airport transfers,door to door shuttle: $38
  • 2-Day Kruger National Park Safari with Private Transfers: $950

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town

Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Visit Big 5 Aquila Game Reserve Group Transfer UP To 13 Pax From Cape Town F/D : $544
  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town HTL-APT(CPT): $31
  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town APT-HTL(CPT): $31
  • Transport Shuttle Transfer from Constantia to Cape Town Airport: $20
  • Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $158
  • Township Tour by Lwafika Tours and Transfers in Cape Town: $52
  • Shuttle Transport Transfer from Simonstown to Cape Town Airport: $24
  • Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $18
  • Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $15
  • Shuttle Transport Transfer from Camps Bay to Cape Town Airport: $16
  • Shopping Mall Transfers: $22
  • Shark Diving Full Day Guided Return Transfer to Gansbaai from Cape Town: $141

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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Pretoria $14
    Cape Town $41

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pretoria

For Pretoria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Johannesburg Cooking Tour: $54
  • Feisty Food Tour : $73

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:

  • Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $27
  • Cape Malay Cooking with a Chef Founder: $28
  • African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $28
  • Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $37
  • 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $42
  • Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $49
  • Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $49
  • Cape Town Storytelling Dinner Experience: $50
  • African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $51
  • African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $52
  • African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $57
  • Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $58

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pretoria $14
    Cape Town $22

Tours and Activities in Pretoria

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

  • Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Guided Tour( Safari Experience) : $151
  • Soweto and Apartheid Museum Day Tour private from Johannesburg Private: $92
  • 1 Night 2 Days eSwatini ( Swaziland Tour): $295
  • 14-Day Mozambique & Zimbabwe Explorer (Adventure Camping Tour): $3,222
  • 15 Day South African Motorcycle Experience: $5,717
  • 2 Day Private Pilanesberg Guided Tour: $339
  • 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $90
  • 20-Day South Africa, Lesotho & Eswatini Explorer (Adventure Accommodated Tour): $3,172
  • 20-Day South Africa, Lesotho & Eswatini Explorer (Adventure Camping Tour): $2,534
  • 3 Days Tour in Kruger National Park from Johannesburg: $420
  • 4 Day Kruger Park Tour: $1,301
  • 4-Hours Pretoria Private History Tour : $82

Tours and Activities in Cape Town

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

  • 6 Days-The best of Cape Town Experience Tour & Accommadation : $1,735
  • Cape Point Private Tour withTable Mountain and Penguin Colony : $252
  • Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope day tour Up to 10 persons: $25
  • Cape Town Private, Aquila Safari Full Day Tour : $333
  • Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $30
  • Cape Town, Shark Cage Diving Full Day Tour Combo On The Boat: $384
  • Golf & Wildlife Tour 7 Days - Garden Route: $2,507
  • Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $163
  • Private Cape Peninsula Tour : $113
  • Private Hot Air Balloon Tour in Stellenbosch: $428
  • Private Tour Cape of Good Hope with Penguins : $302
  • Private Tour To Stellenbosch Franschoek Wineries from Cape Town Price Per Group: $542

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pretoria $30
    Cape Town $20

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:

  • Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $7.05
  • Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.49
  • African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
  • Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $24
  • Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $28
  • From 3 Regions Wine Tour incl 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $35
  • Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $36
  • Half Day Constantia Wine Tour: $38
  • Wine tasting experience : $46
  • Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $46
  • Short Private Wine Tour: $49
  • Fullday Wine Tour: $50

How are these travel costs calculated?

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.

Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Cape Town?

Cape Town is bigger, and its population is about 2.1 times larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the population of Pretoria vs. 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 and the activities 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.
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Pretoria vs. Cape Town Travel Comparison

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