Which place is cheaper, Los Angeles or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Los Angeles?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Los Angeles? 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 Los Angeles?
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.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California is probably one of the most well known cities in the United States. It is the second most populated metro area in the country with more than 17 million people. The city's diversity is wide reaching, giving it a character that is unique from any other place in the country. LA has many world famous sights and neighborhoods including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica, but there is really so much more to this city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50Los Angeles $258
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Los Angeles is $258. 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 Los Angeles in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Los Angeles $140
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Los Angeles $280
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Los Angeles
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Los Angeles? 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: Los Angeles Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Los Angeles $42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $89
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $27
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Los Angeles
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Los Angeles:
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Hotel Parking for a Day$22
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Taxi to Airport$55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Los Angeles
Also for Los Angeles, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach Airport(LGB)-Departure Transfer: $66
- World Cruise Center to Long Beach - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $121
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Los Angeles APT-HTL (LAX): $141
- San Diego Private Transfer To or From Universal Studios/Burbank.: $248
- Roundtrip transfer in private car Los Angeles Airport (LAX)-Los Angeles Downtown: $100
- RoundTrip private transfer from Los Angeles airportLAX to Anaheim: $133
- Private transfer from Los Angeles airport LAX to Anheim: $67
- Private Transfers between LAX Airport and Los Angeles: $519
- Private Transfers between LAX Airport and LA City Center: $97
- Private Transfer: Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to LA City Center: $26
- Private Transfer: Los Angeles (LAX) to/from Anaheim Resort Area: $123
- Private Transfer: LAX Airport and Universal Studio Hollywood: $124
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Los Angeles?
Prices for flights to both Los Angeles 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 $15Los Angeles $60
Typical Food Prices in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Mexican Dinner (family of 4)$32
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Burritos for Two$15
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Coffee and Danish$7.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Venice Beach Food Tour with Tastings: $75
- Santa Monica Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $82
- 3-Hour Secret Food Tour: $88
- Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour: $89
- West Hollywood Food Tour: $89
- Venice Beach LA Food Tour: $89
- Downtown Food Tour: $89
- Venice Beach Food Tour: $89
- LA Venice Beach Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $99
- Original Downtown Los Angeles Walking Food Tour with Six Taste: $110
- Night Cruise in Marina del Rey with Dinner: $124
- Vegan African Dinner Party in Playa Del Ray: $132
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Los Angeles $82
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $91
- 4-Hours Pretoria Private History Tour : $83
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $82
- Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: $199
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Artistic Half Day Tour of Johannesburg : $86
- Cheer on the Cheetah Run for Conservation Adventure: $194
- Cradle of Human Kind & Lion & Rhino Park Tour Full day Tour Private : $188
- Cradle of Humankind Half Day Tour with Lunch : $110
- Cradle of Humankind Private Tour and Safari: $108
- Cradle of Humankind half day tour: $102
Typical Entertainment Prices in Los Angeles
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Los Angeles's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Santa Monica Pier Rides (family of 4)$37
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Bowling$13
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Hollywood Tour for Two$30
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Six Flags for 2$96
Tours and Activities in Los Angeles
For Los Angeles, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1-Hour Private Ferrari Driving Tour: Hollywood to Beverly Hills: $289
- 2 Hour Celebrity Homes Tour: $175
- 2 Hour Griffith Park Observatory Tour: $20
- 2 Hour Private Tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills Celebrity Homes: $175
- 2-Hour Hollywood Bus Tour: $45
- 2-Hours Guided Black and Brown Hollywood Tour: $77
- 2.5 Hour Fright Sights Tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills: $219
- 2.5 Hour Private Tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills: $219
- 2.5-hour Hollywood Chills Tour - Celebrity Scandals and Cemeteries : $219
- 20 Min Ferrari driving tour in Hollywood: $99
- 20 Min Lamborghini driving tour in Hollywood: $139
- 3 Hours Private Photoshoot and Self-Guided Tour in Los Angeles: $287
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Los Angeles $15
Sample the Local Flavors in Los Angeles
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Los Angeles:
- LA Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $40
- Salsa Lesson, Burlesque and Mojitos : $149
- Salsa Lesson and Burlesque Show: $149
- Malibu: Vintage VW Sightseeing Tour and Wine Tasting: $195
- Wine Tour at Fess Parker Winery by Helicopter: $4,299
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Los Angeles, we can see that Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles is in North America, 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 Los Angeles would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Los Angeles, 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.