A Travel Price Comparison for South Africa Soweto vs. Durban for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Soweto or Durban?

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 Durban. 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 Durban?

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.

Durban

The third largest city in South Africa, Durban sits on the east coast of the country in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The city also has the country's most active port. The city's comfortable weather and vast beaches make it one of the country's major tourist centers. There's a population of about 3.5 million in the entire metropolitan area that spreads over 2,295 square kilometers.

Which city is cheaper, Durban or Soweto?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Soweto is $50, while the average daily cost in Durban is $43. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Soweto and Durban in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Soweto $26
    Durban $20
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Soweto $52
    Durban $40
Compare Hotels in Soweto and Durban

Looking for a hotel in Soweto or Durban? 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.

Hotels in Soweto


Hotels in Durban


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: Soweto Hotel Prices and Durban Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Soweto $9.55
    Durban $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Soweto

Also for Soweto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Johannesburg: Airport Transfer with City & Soweto Tour: $77

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Durban

Also for Durban, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfers - Minibus - Durban Arrivals and Departures: $35
  • Private Durban Airport Departure Transfer: $55
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Durban International Airport to Umhlanga: $86
  • Departure Private Transfer: Durban City to Durban MSC Cruise Port by Minivan: $75
  • Departure Private Transfer: Durban City to Durban Airport DUR by Business Car: $76
  • Departure Private Transfer from Durban City to Durban Airport DUR by Minivan: $79
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Durban MSC Cruise Port to Durban City by Minivan: $75
  • Arrival Private Transfer from Durban Airport DUR to Durban City by Minivan: $82
  • Airport Shuttle / Transfers: $30
  • 1-3 Passenger Private Durban Airport Transfer: $42

Is it cheaper to fly into Soweto or Durban?

Prices for flights to both Durban 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Soweto $17
    Durban $13

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Soweto $13
    Durban $13

Tours and Activities in Soweto

For Soweto, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • From Johannesburg: Pretoria, Soweto & Apartheid Museum Tour: $198
  • Half Day Soweto Tour: $57
  • Joburg/Soweto & Gold Reef City Full Day Tour: $122
  • Johannesburg, Soweto and Apartheid Museum Day Tour: $161
  • Soweto Bicycle Tour: $47
  • Soweto Pub-Crawl Tour: $55
  • Soweto half day tour: $55
  • Virtual Tour Of Soweto: $20
  • Walking Tours, Bicycle Tours: $34

Tours and Activities in Durban

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Durban.

  • 12-Day Coast to Cape Town Adventure Accommodated Tour from Durban: $1,713
  • 12-Day Coast to Cape Town Adventure Camping Tour from Durban: $1,376
  • 5 Day Zululand – Lion & Elephant & Drakensberg Safari Tour from Durban: $1,336
  • 6-Day Guided Cultural Tour of Mbotyi Coffee Bay and Cintsa: $997
  • A Full Day Safari Tour to the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Big 5 Game Reserve: $162
  • Battlefield Tour, Duration : 14hrs, Cost : R3127pp - 2 or more pax travelling: $182
  • Battlefields Private Day Tour from Durban: $233
  • Big 5 Safari Durban Day Tour from Durban: $178
  • Culture Walking Tour of Durban: $34
  • Day Tour of Rorkes Drift and Isandlwana: $155
  • Discover Inner City Jewels Walking Tour in Durban: $37
  • Drakensberg & Nelson Mandela Capture Site Half Day Tour from Durban: $164

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Soweto $6.65
    Durban $10

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Soweto and Durban, we can see that Soweto is more expensive. And not only is Durban much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Durban would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Durban 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 Soweto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Soweto than you might in Durban.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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Soweto vs. Durban Travel Comparison

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