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

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Should you visit Soweto or Johannesburg?

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 Johannesburg. 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 Johannesburg?

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.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.

Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Soweto?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Soweto is $59, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $90. 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 Johannesburg in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Soweto $30
    Johannesburg $52
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Soweto $60
    Johannesburg $104
Compare Hotels in Soweto and Johannesburg

Looking for a hotel in Soweto or Johannesburg? 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 Johannesburg


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: Johannesburg Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Soweto $11
    Johannesburg $15

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

Typical Local Transportation prices in Johannesburg

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:


  • Taxi Ride
    $3.08

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:

  • Transfer and Shuttles: $50
  • Tour operator. airport and hotels transfers chauffeur and safari tours services.: $37
  • Suncity Transfer: $151
  • Round Trip O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) Transfer to Johannesburg City Center: $84
  • Return Private Transfers to Sun City from OR Tambo Airport or Joburg Hotels: $141
  • Private transfer: Johannesburg to Johannesburg Airport (JNB): $38
  • Private transfer: Johannesburg Airport (JNB) to Johannesburg: $38
  • Private transfer service from OR Thambo, Lanseria and Wonderboom Airport: $33
  • Private Transfer: Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City to JNB Airport by Minivan: $64
  • Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Sun City/Pilanesberg National Park: $125
  • Private Transfer: JNB Airport to Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City by Minivan: $76
  • Private Johannesburg Airport Arrival Transfer: $49

Is it cheaper to fly into Soweto or Johannesburg?

Prices for flights to both Johannesburg 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 $19
    Johannesburg $16

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.

  • JoburgPlaces Secret Underground Storytelling Dinner: $57
  • JoburgPlaces Migrant Cuisine Storytelling Dinner: $57
  • Johannesburg Cooking Class: $60
  • A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
  • Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve Tour with Carnivore Dinner: $154
  • 3-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner: $672
  • 4-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner: $850
  • 4-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner: $903
  • 5-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner: $1,115
  • 5-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner: $1,119

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Soweto $15
    Johannesburg $20

Tours and Activities in Soweto

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

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

Tours and Activities in Johannesburg

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:

  • 10 Day - Kruger Park - Swaziland - Durban - Lesotho - Drakensberg Tour: $2,214
  • 15 Days - Johannesburg, Kruger National Park and Cape Town Tour: $4,025
  • 2 Days/ 1 Night - Dinokeng Safaris and Cullinan tours: $312
  • 3 Day Unlimited Kruger National Park Safari Game Drive from Johannesburg Tour: $639
  • 3 days tour package - Soweto/Apartheid Museum/ Pretoria/Lion Park: $312
  • 3-Day Kruger National Park Experience: $794
  • 3-Day NON-SHARED Private Group Kruger Safari Camping Tour from Johannesburg: $3,013
  • 3-day Cradle of Human Kind, Sun City and Pilanesberg Big 5 Tour: $990
  • 4 Hour Johannesburg City Tour: $74
  • 4-Day Johannesburg to Soweto Pretoria Private Tour Farm Stay: $503
  • 4-Day Private Guided Safari Tour of Madikwe with Meals: $938
  • 5 Day Greater Kruger National Park Adventure Safari: $1,066

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Soweto $7.81
    Johannesburg $4.49

Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:

  • Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $10
  • Johannesburg Pub Crawl: $57

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Soweto and Johannesburg, we can see that Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johannesburg than you might in Soweto.

Budget Your Trip

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Soweto vs. Johannesburg Travel Comparison

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