Which place is cheaper, New York City or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or New York City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or New York City? 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 New York City?
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.
New York City
The most populated city in the United States, New York City, sits at the mouth of the Hudson River and encompasses both the island of Manhattan as well as the surrounding land on Long Island, most of which is known as Brooklyn. It's a cultural, culinary, theatrical, and art center that has much to offer domestic and international travelers alike. The city covers an area of 305 square miles and has a population of about 8.2 million people in the city proper with 18.7 million in the metropolitan area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Tours Under $1000 in United States of America, and The Best Luxury Tours to United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50New York City $326
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in New York City is $326. 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 New York City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25New York City $175
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50New York City $350
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and New York City
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or New York City? 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: New York City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12New York City $49
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 New York City
Some typical examples of transportation costs in New York City are as follows:
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Subway$4.50
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Taxi Ride$8.00
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Subway$2.50
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New York City
Also for New York City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer in New York HTL-APT (JFK,EWR,LGA): $116
- Transfer in private Minivan from New York (Manhattan) Airport to City: $122
- Skip-the-line Tickets to Bronx Zoo with Private Transfers: $410
- Skip-the-line One World Observatory Tour with Transfers: $296
- Skip-the-line Metropolitan Museum of Art Tour with Transfers: $276
- Skip the line One World Observatory Private Tour with Transfers : $296
- Private arrival OR departure transfer in New York (hotel OR airport pick-up): $289
- Private Transfers between LGA Airport and New York City: $106
- Private Transfers between EWR Airport and New York City: $141
- Private Transfer: between Manhattan and Philadelphia: $528
- Private Transfer: Newark Airport EWR to New York by Luxury SUV: $163
- Private Transfer: New York to Newark Airport EWR in Business Car: $152
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or New York City?
Prices for flights to both New York City 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 $15New York City $50
Typical Food Prices in New York City
For New York City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Gelato$7.50
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Snacks for Two at Yankees Game$34
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Coffee$6.53
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Smoothie$6.95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in New York City
For New York City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- New York, Queens Culinary Stroll : Food Tour on Foot: $26
- Lower East Side and Essex Market Multicultural Food Tour: $39
- Half-Day Private Pizza Crawl in Manhattan: $40
- Ultimate Greenwich Village NYC Food Tour: $63
- NYC: Greenwich Village Guided Food Tour: $63
- Pizza Walking Tour of Downtown Brooklyn: $65
- Greenwich Village NYC Pizza Walking Tour: $65
- West Village Pizza Walk: $65
- East Village Pizza Walk: $65
- Downtown Brooklyn Pizza Walking Tour: $65
- East Village NYC Pizza Walking Tour: $65
- Gastro Pub Pre/Post Theater Dinner in Times Square: $67
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14New York City $180
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 New York City
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for New York City's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Comedy Show Tickets$56
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City Map$8.00
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Broadway Musical$111
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Broadway Show Program$10
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Magazine$6.99
Tours and Activities in New York City
For New York City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Hour Session at Williamsburg's Adventure Park Area 53: $42
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and Amish FarmNHouse Tour from NY: $137
- Classic 1-Hour Central Park Pedicab Tour : $69
- Grand Central Terminal Walking Tour: $35
- New York City Ghost Tour of Greenwich Village: $36
- Official Central Park Pedicab Tours: $50
- & Juliet on Broadway Ticket : $110
- & Juliet on Broadway Ticket with VIP Experience and Lunch: $299
- 1 Day Tour to Philadelphia and Hershey's Chocolate World: $195
- 1 HR - NYC Private Classic Car Experience - Downtown: $249
- 1 HR - NYC Private Classic Car Experience - Midtown: $75
- 1 Hour Private Guided Pedicab Tour in New York City: $45
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Things to do in New York City with Kids, Things to Do in Central Park in NYC, and The Best Museums in New York City.
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31New York City $29
Sample the Local Flavors in New York City
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in New York City:
- NYC West Village Pub Crawl: $22
- Pub Crawl and Rooftop Clubbing Experience: $29
- New York Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $34
- NYC: Brooklyn Nightlife Pub Crawl: $34
- New York Rooftop Pub Crawl: $39
- NYC: Tour Manhattan's Only Whiskey Distillery with Tastings: $42
- Lower East Side & Alphabet City divebar crawl w the Bar Buds: $48
- Little Italy Prohibition Pub Crawl: $64
- Lower East Side Prohibition Pub Crawl: $74
- New York Wine Tasting Experience : $98
- Guided Brooklyn Craft Brewery Tour: $99
- Hudson Valley Craft Brewery Bike Tour: $145
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and New York City, we can see that New York City 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 New York City 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 New York City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New York City 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 New York City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or New York City?
New York City has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and New York City, 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.