Which place is cheaper, Islamabad or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Should I visit Pretoria or Islamabad? 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.
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.
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan, specially built in the 1960's to replace the former capital, Karachi. Most of the city's population are employees of the government, though many people come from all over Pakistan to enjoy the city's peaceful atmosphere and green spaces, museums, and monuments.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Adventure Tours to Pakistan, and The Best Cultural Tours in Pakistan.
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 Islamabad is $42. 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 Islamabad in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Islamabad? 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.
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Also for Islamabad, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Islamabad 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.
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Islamabad.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Islamabad, we can see that Pretoria is more expensive. And not only is Islamabad much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pretoria is in Africa and Islamabad 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 Islamabad would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Islamabad 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 Pretoria would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pretoria than you might in Islamabad.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pretoria Expensive? and Is Islamabad Expensive?.
Pretoria has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Islamabad. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Islamabad, 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.