Which place is cheaper, Rome or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Rome?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Rome? 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 Rome?
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.
Rome
Rome is the capital and largest city in Italy. It is also a common entry point for most visitors flying into the country. Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for the last millenium, making it one of the most famous and popular destinations in not only Europe, but the world. The influence of the Roman Empire can be seen across continents.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50Rome $182
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Rome is $182. 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 Rome in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Rome $95
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Rome $190
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Rome
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Rome? 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: Rome Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Rome $23
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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rome
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:
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Metro Ride (for Two)$2.14
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Train to the Airport$16
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Taxi to Airport$48
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Bicycle Rental (Full Day)$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
- private transfer from Rome to the Port of Civitavecchia Cruis terminal: $109
- private transfer from Rome to Fiumicino airport: $55
- Welcome Private Transfer from Fiumicino Airport to Hotel in Rome: $109
- Verona Airport (VRN) : One-Way Private Transfer to Ravenna: $710
- Van transfer service from / to airports in Rome: $131
- VIP Experience Private Transfer from Fiumicino Airport to Rome: $76
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Rome APT-HTL (CIA): $61
- Trieste Port: One-Way Private Transfer to/from Rome Hotels: $2,551
- Transfers from all Airports to ancient city of Rome: $63
- Transfers from Fiumicino airport: $76
- Transfers From Fiumicino to Terracina: $154
- Transfers Ciampino airport To Rome: $46
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Rome?
Prices for flights to both Rome 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 $15Rome $51
Typical Food Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$15
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4 Ice Cream Sandwiches$3.20
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Cafe e doce$4.29
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Pizza (Fast Food)$2.84
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$34
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Cheese and bread$11
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Espresso$2.14
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Dinner$62
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
- Award-Winning Roman Food Tours: $16
- Eat Pasta in Rome, Testaccio - Self-Guided Walking Food Tour: $17
- Vatican and Trionfale Farmers Market Food tour and Wine tasting : $32
- Vatican Street Food Tour around the Biggest Fresh Market in Rome: $32
- Roman Master Chef Cooking Class with Wine: $37
- Roman Dinner & History Tour: An Epic Journey Through Time: $37
- Tasty Trionfale Farmers Market Food Tour and Local Wines Tasting: $38
- Campo dei Fiori & Jewish Ghetto area Street Food Tour: $42
- Rome Food Tour : Street Food Testings with Local Guide: $43
- Painting and Pizza Party in Rome: $43
- Pub Crawl and Ultimate Party with Open Bar and Pizza: $43
- Tiber River Urban Rafting Tour with Roman Pizza: $43
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Rome $39
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Rome
Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)$74
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Coliseum Tickets (for Two)$35
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Roma Pass$32
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Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)$21
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Segway Tour$80
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour: $89
- Colosseum and Ancient Rome Tour with Circus Maximus and Forums: $16
- Cruise into Rome?! Full-Day Rome Discovery from Civitavecchia : $97
- Doria Pamphilj Gallery Entry Ticket : $38
- Electric - Bike 3 hour Tour : $56
- Electric Bike Tour of City Centre with Gelato Highlights of Rome: $75
- Haunted Rome Walking Tour : $233
- Hidden Gems & Rome Catacomb Semi Private Tour 8 People Max. : $98
- Palatine Hill and Colosseum Tour in Rome: $86
- Premium Rome Walking Tour: from Colosseum to the Orange Gardens: $295
- Private Tour - Capuchin Crypt and Hidden Gems of Rome: $285
- Private Tour in Ferrari with Driver in Rome: $273
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Rome $19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:
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Bottle of Wine$6.96
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Pint of Beer$6.79
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Beer$11
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:
- Cabaret & Burlesque Show: $32
- Vatican Street Food and Wine Tour with Farmers Market: $38
- The Best Wine Tasting in Trastevere with food pairing and Gelato: $49
- Bar Crawl with Local Guide & Drinks: $53
- Roman Night Life and Burlesque Show Tour: $54
- Wine Tour in Historic Center of Rome: $55
- Agricultural Brewery Tour in the Roman Countryside: $55
- Small-Group Exclusive Winery and Wine Tasting Tour in Frascati: $60
- Pasta Making Class & Wine Tasting in a Trasteve Villa: $68
- E-Bike Night Tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $69
- Rome by Night-Ebike tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $70
- Taste of Tuscany: Food & Wine tour with Florentine Steak: $74
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Rome, we can see that Rome 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 Rome is in Europe, 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 Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome 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 Rome Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Rome?
Rome has a larger population, and is about 58% larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Rome, 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.