Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Soweto?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySoweto $61Cape Town $96
The average daily cost (per person) in Soweto is $61, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $96. 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 $31Cape Town $38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSoweto $62Cape Town $76
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 $12Cape Town $17
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: $242
- 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: $17
- Transfer To Safari- Aquila From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees Full Day: $155
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Simonstown to Cape Town Airport: $25
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $21
- Shark Cage Diving: Full Day Tour Transfer: $84
- Robben Island tour Return transfers PLUS famous stops before or after tour: $158
- Return Transfer to Aquila Safari The Big 5 From Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees: $147
- Private Transfer: Cape Town to International Airport (CPT): $47
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 $20Cape Town $41
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: $27
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $27
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $39
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $41
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $54
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $57
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $58
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $60
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $73
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Cape Town Food tour with locals: $100
- The Cape Town Essentials Food Tour: $106
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Soweto $16Cape Town $23
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: $57
- Johannesburg: Soweto Night Tour: $92
- Johannesburg: Soweto Tour with Lunch: $67
- Visit Gospel service with additional Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $44
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 Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $187
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $187
- Cape Point Private Tour withTable Mountain and Penguin Colony : $249
- Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope day tour Up to 10 persons: $64
- CapeWinelands Private Tour to Stellenbosch,Franschhoek and Paarl: $94
- Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $160
- Private Tour Cape of Good Hope with Penguins : $109
- South African Traditional Braai (BBQ) Experience & Winetasting : $134
- ( Cape Town Private Tour Full-Day ) Robben Island and Cape Peninsula Penguins : $256
- ( Cape town ) Private Winelands Tasting Full Day Tour: $167
- ( Cape town Private Tour ) Hermanus Shark Cage Diving : $244
- (Cape Town Private Tour ) Whale Watching Combo on Boat : $213
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySoweto $8.10Cape Town $20
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:
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.36
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $19
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $27
- From 3 Regions Wine Tour with 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $37
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $37
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $47
- Fullday Wine Tour: $49
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $50
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $52
- Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour with Wine Tram: $61
- Wine Tasting Private Tour through Durbanville Winelands: $64
- Cape Town Tour with wine tasting.Full day peninsula tour.: $65
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.