Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Singapore?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Singapore or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Singapore 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: Singapore or Cape Town?
Singapore
Singapore is a city-state that was originally founded in 1819 as a British trading colony. Today it is a very international country that is incredibly modern and cosmopolitan. There is a strong financial industry in this country, and a correspondingly strong work ethic. It is one of the most prosperous cities in the world, and has one of the world's busiest ports.
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 Budget Tours to Singapore, The Best Tours for Seniors to Singapore, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySingapore $152Cape Town $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Singapore is $152, 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 Singapore and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSingapore $98Cape Town $39
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSingapore $196Cape Town $78
Compare Hotels in Singapore and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Singapore 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
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Singapore $10Cape Town $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Singapore
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Singapore:
-
Taxi to Airport$24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Singapore
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Singapore:
- Universal Studios Singapore Admission Ticket with Transfer: $175
- Starry Night Singapore Tour + Roundtrip Transfers: $92
- Universal Studios 1-Day Pass with 1-Way Transfer: $96
- Night Safari with Tram Ride and Hotel Transfer: $168
- Night Safari Ticket, Tram Ride, & Return Transfer: $104
- Marina Bay Sands & Gardens By The Bay & Transfer: $143
- Half-Day City Tour with Hotel Transfer: $35
- City Transfer to Airport/Seaport Terminal: $59
- City Transfer to Airport/Seaport Terminal: $60
- Changi Airport to/from Hotel Private Transfer: $56
- Airport/Seaport Arrival Transfer + Meet & Greet: $82
- Singapore to Kuala Lumpur One Way Transfer: $153
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers: $11
- Private Airport Transfers in Cape Town- One way/Round Trips: $16
- 1.Cape Town Airport Transfer (&Private tour trips during yo Stay): $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Exclusive Cape Town Airport and Cruise Terminal Transfers: $18
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Camps Bay Cape Town: $18
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Muizenberg Cape Town : $18
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $18
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer from Airport to Constantia: $18
- Transport Shuttle Transfer from Constantia to Cape Town Airport: $18
- 24 hour Private Airport Shuttle and Transfer CBD: $19
Is it cheaper to fly into Singapore or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Singapore 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
-
Food Meals for one daySingapore $28Cape Town $42
Typical Food Prices in Singapore
Some typical examples of dining costs in Singapore are as follows:
-
Breakfast$4.52
-
Sugarcane Juice$1.48
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Singapore
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Singapore.
- Secrets of Singapore Kick Scooter Tour with Dinner: $47
- Secrets of Singapore Kick Scooter Tour with Dinner: $47
- Guided Hawker Culture & Street Food Tour at Night: $65
- Local Hawker Food Tour with Tastings: $65
- Marina Bay Sands Yacht Cruise with Dinner: $67
- Evening Sightseeing Walking Tour with Dinner: $71
- Eat and Snap in Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $71
- Small Group: Michelin and Local Hawker Food Tour: $72
- Private Korean Cooking Class in Balmoral Road: $74
- Best Ever Katong Food Tour with Local Foodie - Eat till you drop!: $74
- Zebra Urban Safari Bicycle Tour with Local Dinner and Drinks: $75
- Little India Hawker Street Food Tour: $82
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
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Singapore $32Cape Town $23
Tours and Activities in Singapore
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Singapore are as follows:
- SG Adventure Pass with Dukw Tour: $122
- *17 or 19 Hrs Kuala Lumpur Van Tour from Singapore w' Tour Guide: $185
- *19 Hrs Kuala Lumpur&Melaka Van Tour from Singapore w' Tour Guide: $182
- 1 Hour Admission Ticket for Singapore Cable Car: $26
- 1-way Singapore hotel pickup (Batam private tour guests only): $120
- 3 Ethnic Neighborhoods & UNESCO Street Food / Cultural Experience: $149
- 3 Hour Private Sunset Tour in Singapore: $241
- 3-Hour Marina Bay Best Spots Walking Tour: $68
- 5-Hour Peranakan Heritage Tour with Peranakan Tile Painting : $124
- 6-Hours Singapore Tour in Private Car or Minibus with Driver: $233
- ArtScience Museum Admission Ticket: $23
- Asian Civilisations Museum Admission Ticket: $12
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $2.99
- District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $3.24
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.60
- Kirstenbosch: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $3.99
- Cape Town 30-minute V&A Harbour Cruise: $4.15
- Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $4.15
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.35
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.35
- Meandering through Mouille Point: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.99
- V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise: $5.00
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one daySingapore $27Cape Town $21
Sample the Local Flavors in Singapore
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Singapore:
- Tour of Tiger Brewery in Singapore: $21
- Party Singapore Bespoke Pub Crawl: $25
- Singapore Pub Crawl - Party like a Local: $26
- Little India Pub Crawl: $26
- Halloween Horror Nightlife PartySingapore Bespoke Pub Crawl: $37
- LeVeL33 Rooftop Brewery Tour & Craft Beer Tasting: $74
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 Singapore and Cape Town, we can see that Singapore is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Singapore is in Asia 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 Cape Town would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cape Town 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 Singapore would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Singapore than you might in Cape Town.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Singapore Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Singapore or Cape Town?
Singapore has a larger population, and is about 3% larger than the population of Cape Town. When comparing the sizes of Singapore 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.
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.