Which place is cheaper, Shanghai or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Shanghai?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Shanghai? 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 Shanghai?
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.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest and most modern city in China. With a population of over 23 million, it is the economic and financial hub of the country. It also continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in China with regular changes to the city's layout and skyline. It is not uncommon for buildings to be torn down, rebuilt and then torn down and rebuilt again. The city also has skyscrapers that rank among the tallest in the world. It has an ever changing downtown and street scape. In Shanghai, the general mantra remains "out with the old, in with the new".
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 Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50Shanghai $115
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Shanghai is $115. 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 Shanghai in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Shanghai $81
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Shanghai $162
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Shanghai
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Shanghai? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Shanghai $3.87
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
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $88
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Shanghai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Shanghai:
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Taxi Ride$3.59
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Two Subway Tickets$0.83
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shanghai
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shanghai:
- private transfer from Wusongkou CruisePort to Disneyland and back: $64
- Yiwu Railway Station Private Arrival Transfer to City Area: $18
- Yiwu City Private Transfer to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport : $74
- Yiwu Airport Private Departure Transfer from City Area : $20
- Yiwu Airport Private Arrival Transfer to City Area : $20
- Xitang Water Town Self-Guided Tour from Shanghai with Private Transfer: $100
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal to Hongqiao Airport Chauffeur Service, Port Transfer: $87
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal Share Transfer Service, Baoshan Port Pick up Service: $29
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Shanghai APT-HTL (PVG,SHA): $51
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in ShangHai HTL-APT (PVG,SHA): $51
- Transfer From City to Shanghai Pudong Airport （English Driver）: $68
- Tongli Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Shanghai: $100
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Shanghai?
Prices for flights to both Shanghai 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 $15Shanghai $21
Typical Food Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of dining costs in Shanghai are as follows:
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Dumpling Breakfast$1.38
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Desserts in Jinmao Building Observatory$20
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Ajisen Lunch for Two$7.18
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Cantelope$1.66
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Dumplings and Soup$2.07
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Duck Dinner$4.14
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Pastries$2.90
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Barbeque Dinner$8.83
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Shanghai.
- Online Cooking Class Handmade Noodles by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Fried Rice by Sunflower Li : $20
- Online Cooking Class Dim Sum by Sunflower Li: $20
- 3-Hour Biking and Local Food Tour: $70
- Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai: $79
- Late night food tour in Shanghai's French Concession: $85
- Late Night Food Tour in the Shanghai's French Concession: $89
- Shanghai's Koreatown Food Tour: $91
- 4-Hour Food Tour in Qibao Water Town from Shanghai by Subway: $95
- Shanghai Night River Cruise VIP Seating with Private Transfer and Dinner Option: $130
- Old Shanghai Beer Dinner Tour with Cruise Ride: $138
- Private Wet Market Visit with Cooking Class in Shanghai: $138
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Shanghai $8.42
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
- Johannesburg guided city tour: $52
- 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
- Soweto Pub-Crawl Tour: $61
- Taste of Africa Food tasting Experience & Optional Beer Tasting: $61
- Cullinan Diamond Mine Surface Guided Tour from Pretoria, every MONDAY: $61
- Johannesburg Soweto Highlights Tour: $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Shanghai are as follows:
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30 Minute River Cruise for Two$28
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Zoo for Two$14
Tours and Activities in Shanghai
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shanghai are as follows:
- Half-Day Private Tour of Shanghai Bund with River Cruise or Tower View: $90
- Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights: $108
- Shanghai Layover Tour to Xinchang Water Town with City Highlights Option : $135
- Zhouzhuang Water Town Self-Guided Day Tour from Shanghai: $88
- 1 Day Shanghai Airport Layover Private Tour for City Highlights: $202
- 1 Day Shanghai Highlight Small Group Tour: $124
- 1 Day Shanghai Private Tour: $180
- 1 day Shanghai to Hangzhou Mini Group Tour: $131
- 1-Day Private Tour to Shanghai Museum,Yu Garden,the Bund & Huangpu River Cruise : $213
- 1-Day Private Tour to Shanghai Zhujiajiao Water Town,Nanjing Road and the Bund: $221
- 1-Day Private Tour to Suzhou from Shanghai: $272
- 1-Day Private Tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town,the Bund and World Financial Center : $256
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Shanghai $7.35
Sample the Local Flavors in Shanghai
Also in Shanghai, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Shanghai Pub Crawl - Bar-hopping/Night life tour: $27
- Shanghai Luxury Bar Crawl in 5-star Hotel or Boutique Hotel: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Shanghai, we can see that Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shanghai 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 Shanghai Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Shanghai?
Shanghai has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria and Shanghai, 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.