Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Saint Petersburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Saint Petersburg or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Saint Petersburg or Cape Town? 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: Saint Petersburg or Cape Town?
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a beautiful city that sits on the eastern edge of the Baltic Sea. Its historical city center is threaded with canals and architecturally impressive buildings, leaving little doubt as to why this city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the second largest city in Russia, but perhaps a favorite among travelers. The metropolitan area has a population of over 5 million as well as an impressive culture with fascinating museums, restaurants, and architecture. The city has no shortage of sights and attractions, and many days can be passed while you wander its intricate streets.
Cape Town
Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.
Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySaint Petersburg $64Cape Town $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Saint Petersburg is $64, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $98. 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 Saint Petersburg and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSaint Petersburg $37Cape Town $39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSaint Petersburg $74Cape Town $78
Compare Hotels in Saint Petersburg and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Saint Petersburg or Cape Town? 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: Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Saint Petersburg $7.42Cape Town $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Saint Petersburg
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Saint Petersburg:
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Metro Passes$1.36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $250
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town HTL-APT(CPT): $44
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $160
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Simonstown to Cape Town Airport: $26
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $22
- Shark Cage Diving: Full Day Tour Transfer: $97
- Shared Transfers to and from Safari Game Reserve (excluding entrance fees): $85
- Robben Island tour Return transfers PLUS famous stops before or after tour: $163
- Robben Island and Long Walk to Freedom with Ticket &Transfer: $92
- Private Transfer: Cape Town to International Airport (CPT): $47
Is it cheaper to fly into Saint Petersburg or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Saint Petersburg 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 daySaint Petersburg $19Cape Town $42
Typical Food Prices in Saint Petersburg
For Saint Petersburg, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$4.69
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $41
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $43
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $55
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $56
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $59
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $61
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $61
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $62
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $70
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Saint Petersburg $18Cape Town $23
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope day tour Up to 10 persons: $66
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $280
- Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $30
- Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $166
- Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $166
- Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $114
- Private Tour Cape of Good Hope with Penguins : $155
- Private Tour to Robben Island and Cape Point in Cape Town: $121
- South African Traditional Braai (BBQ) Experience & Winetasting : $138
- ( Cape Town Private Tour ) Hermanus Whale Watching Full Day : $251
- ( Cape town ) Private Winelands Tasting Full Day Tour: $173
- ( Cape town Private Tour ) Hermanus Shark Cage Diving : $252
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySaint Petersburg $9.86Cape Town $21
Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town
Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $7.17
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.66
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $28
- Sip 15 Wines on a 3-Region Wine Tour with Cheese: $38
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $38
- Three Region Wine Tour: $44
- Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $47
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $49
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $51
- Fullday Wine Tour: $51
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $52
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Saint Petersburg and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Saint Petersburg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Saint Petersburg is in Europe and Cape Town is in Africa, 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 Saint Petersburg would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Saint Petersburg 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town than you might in Saint Petersburg.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Saint Petersburg Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Saint Petersburg or Cape Town?
Saint Petersburg has a larger population, and is about 18% larger than the population of Cape Town. When comparing the sizes of Saint Petersburg and Cape Town, 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.
When is the best time to visit Saint Petersburg or Cape Town?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Cape Town is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Saint Petersburg has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Saint Petersburg or Cape Town in the Summer?
Both Cape Town and Saint Petersburg are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities.
Saint Petersburg is cooler than Cape Town in the summer. The daily temperature in Saint Petersburg averages around 18°C (64°F) in July, and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in January.
It's quite sunny in Cape Town. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during summer. Saint Petersburg gets 267 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Saint Petersburg usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Saint Petersburg gets 77 mm (3 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuarySaint Petersburg 18°C (64°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Saint Petersburg or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Saint Petersburg during the autumn are popular places to visit.
In the autumn, Saint Petersburg is much colder than Cape Town. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Saint Petersburg in October average around 6°C (42°F), and Cape Town averages at about 18°C (64°F)in April.
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the autumn, Saint Petersburg often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Saint Petersburg gets 70 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
Saint Petersburg usually gets more rain in October than Cape Townin April. Saint Petersburg gets 65 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilSaint Petersburg 6°C (42°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Saint Petersburg or Cape Town in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Saint Petersburg and Cape Town.
Be prepared for some very cold days in Saint Petersburg. In January, Saint Petersburg is generally much colder than Cape Townin July. Daily temperatures in Saint Petersburg average around -8°C (18°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F).
Saint Petersburg usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Saint Petersburg gets 22 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Saint Petersburg usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Saint Petersburg gets 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulySaint Petersburg -8°C (18°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Saint Petersburg or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Saint Petersburg as well as Cape Town.
Saint Petersburg can get quite cold in the spring. Saint Petersburg is much colder than Cape Town in the spring. The daily temperature in Saint Petersburg averages around 4°C (40°F) in April, and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F)in October.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. In the spring, Saint Petersburg often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Saint Petersburg gets 180 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Saint Petersburg usually gets around the same amount of rain in April as Cape Townin October. Saint Petersburg gets 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberSaint Petersburg 4°C (40°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Saint Petersburg
| Saint Petersburg | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -8°C (18°F) | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | -7°C (20°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | -2°C (28°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 4°C (40°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 11°C (52°F) | 37 mm (1.5 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 16°C (60°F) | 55 mm (2.2 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 18°C (64°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 16°C (62°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 11°C (52°F) | 69 mm (2.7 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 6°C (42°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 0°C (32°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | -5°C (24°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) |
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.