Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Soweto?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Soweto 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 Soweto 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: Soweto or Cape Town?
Soweto
The name Soweto is an acronym for South Western Townships, first used in 1963 to describe the groups of townships to the south west of Johannesburg. It is a city of contrasts, featuring anything from tin shanties to luxurious mansions, and is probably best known for being the home of two Nobel Prize winners.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cape Town, The Best 2-Week Tours from Cape Town, The Best 2-Week Tours from Johannesburg, and The Best Wildlife Tours to South Africa.
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Soweto Prices
South Africa PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySoweto $82Cape Town $179
The average daily cost (per person) in Soweto is $82, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $179. 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 Soweto and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSoweto $34Cape Town $83
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSoweto $68Cape Town $166
Compare Hotels in Soweto and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Soweto 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.Soweto $13Cape Town $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- West Coast Wonders Full Day Tour with Private Transfer: $253
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cape Town HTL-APT(CPT): $44
- Transfer from Cape Town City Center to Cape Town Airport: $18
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $147
- Township Tour by Lwafika Tours and Transfers in Cape Town: $71
- Table Mountain Tour with Round Trip Transfers: $99
- Table Mountain Tour with Cable Car Tickets and Transfers: $88
- Stellenbosch Winelands Connoisseur Day Tour with Private Transfer: $273
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $24
- Shark Diving Full Day Guided Return Transfer to Gansbaai from Cape Town: $159
- Shared Transfers to and from Safari Game Reserve (excluding entrance fees): $91
- Shared Return Transfer to Aquila Safari from Cape Town Day trip: $147
Is it cheaper to fly into Soweto or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Soweto 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 daySoweto $38Cape Town $77
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:
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $30
- Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class : $71
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $72
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $75
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $77
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Sunset At Signal Hill Constantia Wine Tasting and Dinner: $83
- Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $88
- Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
- Food Tour in “Little Mogadishu,” Bellville, Cape Town: $94
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $98
- Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Soweto $17Cape Town $25
Tours and Activities in Soweto
For Soweto, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Johannesburg: Soweto Half-Day Tour: $64
- Johannesburg: Soweto Night Tour: $103
- Johannesburg: Soweto Tour with Lunch: $75
- Sip & Paint Walking Tour: $38
- Visit Gospel service with additional Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $48
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Days Private Guided Tour in Cape Town: $295
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $148
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $208
- Cape Agulhas, Hermanus Stony Point Penguins Colony Tour : $230
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $206
- Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, Penguins Experience: $88
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $300
- Cape Town Central wine and cheese pairing private Tour Drive : $224
- Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $33
- Cape Town, Destination for Wine and galery Lovers Private Tour: $283
- Cape Winelands From Cape Town Private Day Tour: $175
- Cape Winelands Tour to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl: $104
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySoweto $8.79Cape Town $22
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:
- Stellenbosch Small Group Wine Tasting Tour From Cape Town: $2.65
- Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $12
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
- Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $14
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $26
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $28
- Urban Wine Tasting: $30
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $30
- Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $31
- Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Babylonstoren Wine Tour: $38
- Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $46
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $47
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Soweto and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Soweto much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Soweto would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Soweto 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 Soweto.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Soweto Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Soweto or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Soweto. When comparing the sizes of Soweto 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.