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

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Should you visit Soweto or Port Elizabeth?

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 Port Elizabeth. 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 Port Elizabeth?

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.

Port Elizabeth

Located on the Indian Ocean coastline of South Africa, Port Elizabeth is a major sea port and tourist destination featuring a pleasant climate, opportunities for water sports, historical landmarks, wildlife areas, and clean beaches.

Which place is cheaper, Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Soweto and Port Elizabeth in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Soweto $30
    Port Elizabeth $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Soweto $60
    Port Elizabeth $46
Compare Hotels in Soweto and Port Elizabeth

Looking for a hotel in Soweto or Port Elizabeth? 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 Port Elizabeth


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: Port Elizabeth Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Soweto $11
    Port Elizabeth $9.23

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 Port Elizabeth

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Port Elizabeth:

  • Transfers - Port Elizabeth Airport; Local Hotels and BnB up to 50km: $34
  • Airport Transfers Port Elizabeth to St Francis Bay: $76
  • Airport Transfers Port Elizabeth to Jeffreys Bay: $27

Is it cheaper to fly into Soweto or Port Elizabeth?

Prices for flights to both Port Elizabeth 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
    Port Elizabeth $13

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Soweto $15
    Port Elizabeth $9.04

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 Port Elizabeth

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

  • 12-Day Garden Route Tour with Accommodation: $3,500
  • 4-Day Garden Route Explorer Adventure Accommodated Tour from Port Elizabeth: $706
  • 4-Day Garden Route Explorer Adventure Camping Tour from Port Elizabeth: $559
  • 5 Day Backpacker Tour from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town: $399
  • 5 Day Central Wildcoast Tour: $530
  • 7 Day Flowers of Namaqualand Tour from Port Elizabeth: $932
  • Addo Elephant National Park Day Tour from Port Elizabeth: $121
  • Addo Elephant National Park Full-Day Tour from Port Elizabeth: $144
  • Bicycle Rentals & Tours Port Elizabeth: $12
  • Big 5 Tour from Port Elizabeth: $228
  • Bungy Jump Tour from Port Elizabeth: $148
  • Central Wildcoast: 5 Day backpacking & Hiking Tour: $529

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Soweto $7.81
    Port Elizabeth $2.49

Sample the Local Flavors in Port Elizabeth

Also in Port Elizabeth, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Brewery Tour & Beer Tasting: $3.94

About these numbers

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Soweto and Port Elizabeth, we can see that Soweto is more expensive. And not only is Port Elizabeth much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Port Elizabeth would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth.

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. Port Elizabeth Travel Comparison

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