Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Sarajevo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sarajevo or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Sarajevo and Cape Town. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Sarajevo or Cape Town?
Sarajevo
Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia and is one of the most culturally and historically interesting cities to visit in Europe. The city was at the crossroads where the Eastern and Western Roman Empires divided, and the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches divided. Today it is most associated with the Civil War that occurred here between 1992 and 1995. There are still many remnants of the war left, from the cemeteries that dot the countryside to the leftover damage done by bombs. Despite its brutal history, Sarajevo has begun to thrive again, both economically and as a tourist destination.
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 Cultural Tours in Bosnia and Herzegowina, The Best Budget Tours to Bosnia and Herzegowina, 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 daySarajevo $71Cape Town $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Sarajevo is $71, 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 Sarajevo and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSarajevo $27Cape Town $39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSarajevo $54Cape Town $78
Compare Hotels in Sarajevo and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Sarajevo 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: Sarajevo Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sarajevo $7.09Cape Town $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Sarajevo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Sarajevo:
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Tram Tickets (for 2)$1.65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sarajevo
Also for Sarajevo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from/to Sarajevo - Neum: $178
- Transfer from/to Sarajevo - Belgrade: $290
- Transfer from city of Sarajevo to city of Mostar: $252
- Transfer from Sarajevo to Kotor+Herzegovina tour: $127
- Split Private Transfer Service: $301
- Private Transfer to and from Sarajevo Airport: $25
- Private 1-Way Transfer to/from Split: $323
- Dubrovnik Private Transfer Service: $301
- Airport transfers and all other transfers 4 people: $27
- Sarajevo ⇄ Mostar / Private Transfer: $205
- Sarajevo to/from Zagreb Transfer Day Tour (North-central Bosnia): $154
- Sarajevo to/from Dubrovnik Transfer Tour via Mostar & Herzegovina: $143
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
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town APT-HTL(CPT): $44
- Transport Shuttle Transfer from Constantia to Cape Town Airport: $18
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $159
- 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
- Shared Transfer to Cape Agulhas - Where The Two Oceans Meet From Cape Town F/Day: $183
Is it cheaper to fly into Sarajevo or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Sarajevo 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 daySarajevo $31Cape Town $42
Typical Food Prices in Sarajevo
For Sarajevo, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Restaurant Dinner (for 2)$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sarajevo
For Sarajevo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Walking Food Tour with Local Craft Experience: $43
- Traditional Bosnian Dinner with your Host Family: $44
- Traditional Bosnian Dinner with Host Family: $54
- Bosnian Cooking Lessons: $80
- The 10 Tastings of Sarajevo Private Food Tour : $144
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:
- Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $28
- 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: $71
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
- Private Cooking Class and Meal in Local Wynberg Cape Town Home: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sarajevo $12Cape Town $23
Typical Entertainment Prices in Sarajevo
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Sarajevo's activities, tours, and tickets:
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National Museum (for 2)$7.71
Tours and Activities in Sarajevo
For Sarajevo, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 hours Small Group Old Town of Sarajevo Walking Tour with Local Tour Guide: $13
- 4-Hour Sightseeing Walking Tour with Food Tastings and Craft Experience: $44
- 8 to 9 Hours Daily Tour To Travnik and Jajce From Sarajevo: $104
- BOSNIAN PYRAMIDS TOUR (nature, history & archeology): $65
- Bijambare Cave & Bosnia Spring Park: Half-Day Tour from Sarajevo: $81
- Bijambare Cave & Bosnia Spring Park: Tour from Sarajevo: $80
- Bijambare Cave Tour : $44
- Bijambare Cave and Spring of River Bosna Tour: $45
- Bosnia's Treasures: 7-Day Private Tour: $1,318
- Bosnian Castles Tour: Sarajevo, Vranduk, Tesanj, Srebrenik: $143
- Bosnian Castles Tour: Vranduk Tešanj Srebrenik from Sarajevo: $134
- Bosnian Kingdom Capitals: Travnik & Jajce Tour from Sarajevo: $142
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $137
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $192
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $192
- Cape Point Private Tour withTable Mountain and Penguin Colony : $257
- 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
- CapeWinelands Private Tour to Stellenbosch,Franschhoek and Paarl: $96
- Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $166
- Long Walk to Freedom in Robben Island including Ticket & Afrogem: $156
- Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $165
- Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $114
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySarajevo $7.41Cape Town $21
Sample the Local Flavors in Sarajevo
Also in Sarajevo, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Small-group Wine Tasting Expiriance, with lunch in vineyard: $71
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: $7.13
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.60
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $25
- 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
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $54
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sarajevo and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Sarajevo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sarajevo Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sarajevo or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Sarajevo. When comparing the sizes of Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Sarajevo or Cape Town in the Summer?
Both Cape Town and Sarajevo are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The hiking, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Sarajevo this time of year.
Sarajevo is a little warmer than Cape Town in the summer. The daily temperature in Sarajevo averages around 26°C (78°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 Sarajevo. Sarajevo usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Town during summer. Sarajevo gets 323 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Sarajevo usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Sarajevo gets 49 mm (1.9 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 JanuarySarajevo 26°C (78°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Sarajevo or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Sarajevo during the autumn are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Sarajevo for the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Sarajevo is around the same temperature as Cape Town. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Sarajevo in October average around 17°C (62°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, Sarajevo often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Sarajevo gets 178 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Sarajevo. Sarajevo usually gets more rain in October than Cape Townin April. Sarajevo gets 153 mm (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 AprilSarajevo 17°C (62°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Sarajevo or Cape Town in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Sarajevo and Cape Town. Many visitors come to Sarajevo in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In January, Sarajevo is generally much colder than Cape Townin July. Daily temperatures in Sarajevo average around 6°C (42°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F).
Sarajevo usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Sarajevo gets 113 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
Sarajevo gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In January, Sarajevo usually receives more rain than Cape Townin July. Sarajevo gets 148 mm (5.8 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 JulySarajevo 6°C (42°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Sarajevo or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Sarajevo as well as Cape Town. Most visitors come to Sarajevo for the activities around the city and the natural beauty during these months.
Sarajevo is cooler than Cape Town in the spring. The daily temperature in Sarajevo averages around 14°C (58°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, Sarajevo often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Sarajevo gets 174 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Sarajevo receives a lot of rain in the spring. Sarajevo usually gets more rain in April than Cape Townin October. Sarajevo gets 127 mm (5 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 OctoberSarajevo 14°C (58°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Sarajevo
| Sarajevo | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 6°C (42°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 8°C (46°F) | 134 mm (5.3 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 11°C (51°F) | 124 mm (4.9 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 14°C (58°F) | 127 mm (5 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 19°C (66°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 22°C (72°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 26°C (78°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 26°C (78°F) | 65 mm (2.5 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 22°C (71°F) | 109 mm (4.3 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 17°C (62°F) | 153 mm (6 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 11°C (52°F) | 203 mm (8 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 7°C (45°F) | 196 mm (7.7 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.