A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pretoria vs. Kyoto for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pretoria or Kyoto?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Pretoria or Kyoto? 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 Kyoto?

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.

Kyoto

Kyoto is a larger city of Japan, though it is very much set in the old ways. With quiet temples, sublime gardens, colorful shrines, and geisha walking amidst a city surrounded by stunning mountains, Kyoto feels like a world of another time and place. True to ancient Japanese tradition, most aspects of daily life are tied closely with the changing of the seasons.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Tokyo.


Which place is cheaper, Kyoto or Pretoria?

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 Kyoto 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 Kyoto in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pretoria $25
    Kyoto $63
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pretoria $50
    Kyoto $126
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Kyoto

Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Kyoto? 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 Kyoto


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: Kyoto Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pretoria $12
    Kyoto $7.56

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
  • One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $89
  • Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
  • Sun City Private Transfer: $250

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kyoto

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kyoto:

  • Shared Departure Transfer: Kyoto City to Osaka Itami Airport: $69
  • Shared Departure Transfer : Kyoto City to Kansai International Airport: $69
  • Private departure transfer from Kyoto city to Osaka Itami International airport: $80
  • Private departure transfer from Kyoto city to Kansai International airport: $110
  • Osaka City to/from Kyoto City Private transfer: $229
  • Osaka (Itami) Airport to/from Kyoto City Private Transfer: $141
  • Osaka (Itami) Airport ITM Private Transfer to/from Kyoto: $220
  • One-Way Private Transfer to/from Itami Airport: $327
  • Customizable Private Tour with Hotel Transfers: $505
  • Kyoto to Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) - Departure Private Transfer: $72
  • Kansai Intl. Airport KIX Private Transfer to/from Kyoto: $230
  • Kansai Int Airport to/from Kyoto City Private Transfer: $274

Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Kyoto?

Prices for flights to both Kyoto 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 $15
    Kyoto $24

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kyoto

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kyoto.

  • Private Cooking Class Udon in Kyoto Japan: $41
  • Japanese Washoku Bento Cooking Class with Lunch: $46
  • Nishiki Market Brunch Walking Food Tour: $47
  • Japanese Home Cooking Lesson with Local Hosts in Peaceful Kyoto Suburb Otsu: $49
  • Private Guided Traditional Buddhist Cooking in Japan: $58
  • Kyoto Nishiki Market & Depachika: 2-hours Food Tour with a Local: $59
  • Morning Japanese Bento Cooking Class: $61
  • Afternoon Japanese Izakaya Cooking Class: $61
  • Japanese Cooking Class: $62
  • Sushi - Authentic Japanese Cooking Class - the best souvenir from Kyoto!: $64
  • Japanese Udon and Sushi Cooking Class with Tastings: $64
  • Wagashi(Japanese sweets) Cooking :Kyoto near Fushimiinari: $65

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pretoria $14
    Kyoto $13

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

Tours and Activities in Kyoto

Here are a few actual costs in Kyoto for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 2 Hour Walking Historic Gion Tour in Kyoto Geisha Spotting Area: $300
  • Bar Hopping Private Tour in Kyoto: $48
  • Kyoto Private Full-day Walking Tour from Kyoto Station: $154
  • Osaka Kyoto Experience Japanese Homogi: $134
  • "Unlock Kyoto's Charm: Government-Certified Group Tour: $90
  • 1 Day Hiking Tour in the Mountains of Kyoto: $174
  • 1-Hour Japanese Archery Experience in Kyoto: $39
  • 1.5 Hours Kyoto Insider Sake Experience: $66
  • 10 Hrs Full day Kyoto Tour w/Hotel Pick-up: $588
  • 2 Hour Night Walking Tour Throughout Gion in a Small Group: $67
  • 2 Hours Shared Kendo Experience In Kyoto Japan: $120
  • 2-Hour Shopping Tour Plan / private: $131

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pretoria $31
    Kyoto $12

Sample the Local Flavors in Kyoto

Also in Kyoto, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Japanese Sake Brewery and Fushimi Inari Sightseeing Tour: $18
  • Kyoto Local Bar Crawl in Kawaramachi Area: $40
  • Sake Brewery &Great Yakitori Experience: $78
  • Sake Brewery and Tasting Tour in Fushimi: $82
  • Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour: $84
  • Insider Sake Brewery Tour with Sake and Food Pairing: $85
  • Rural Brewery Town Walk: Half-Day Private Tour Near Kyoto: $100
  • Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour: $159
  • Rural Villages & Brewery Town: Private 1-Day Cycling Near Kyoto: $187
  • Kyoto Sake Bar and Pub Crawl (Food & Sake Tour): $195
  • Kyoto Sake Bar and Pub Crawl (Food & Sake Tour): $196
  • Private Guided Local Bar Crawl Experience in Kyoto: $223


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Kyoto, we can see that Kyoto 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 Kyoto 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 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 Kyoto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Kyoto 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 Kyoto Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Kyoto?

Pretoria has a larger population, and is about 11% larger than the population of Kyoto. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Kyoto, 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.