Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Sydney?
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 Sydney or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sydney or Cape Town, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Sydney or Cape Town?
Sydney
Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.
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 Contiki Tours to Australia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Sydney Prices
Australia PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySydney $207Cape Town $179
The average daily cost (per person) in Sydney is $207, 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 Sydney and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSydney $103Cape Town $83
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSydney $206Cape Town $166
Compare Hotels in Sydney and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Sydney 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: Sydney Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sydney $15Cape Town $18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Sydney
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:
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Taxi Ride$13
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Taxi to Airport$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:
- Transfer from White Bay Cruise Terminal to Sydney Airport: $27
- Transfer Between Airport & Hotels or Cruise Terminal: $13
- Tandem Skydive with Optional Transfers: $251
- SYD Airport to Sydney City Centre Private Transfer: $37
- Private City, Harbour, and Bondi Tour with Transfer: $274
- Private Airport Transfer with Meet and Greet: $60
- Hunter Valley Sunrise Balloon Flight with Transfer: $363
- Airport Transfer to Sydney CBD (Chauffeur Driven): $132
- Airport Shuttle Transfer to and from CBD Hotels: $40
- Sydney's Best Airport Arrival Transfers - Airport to CBD : $84
- Sydney to Sydney Airport (SYD) - Departure Private Transfer: $70
- Sydney Port Private Arrival Transfer: Cruise Port to City: $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers To Hermanus: $237
- Airport transfers: $24
- Retun Transfer - Cape Agulhas - Where Two Oceans Meet Cape Town : $143
- 1-3 Passenger Private Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $57
- 1-3 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $29
- 4-7 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $41
- AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $29
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $46
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $19
- Airport Transfer: Airport CPT to Cape Town by Luxury Car: $118
- Airport Transfer: Cape Town to Cape Town Airport CPT in Luxury Car: $106
- Airport and day tour transfers to Cape Town International Airport: $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Sydney or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Sydney 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 daySydney $77Cape Town $77
Typical Food Prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:
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Tea$2.62
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Lunch Special$9.81
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Food/Drink Coogie Beach$9.81
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Meat Pies$3.27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sydney.
- Vivid Festival of Light Harbor Cruise with Dinner: $36
- City Highlights Walking Food Tour with Harbor Cruise: $45
- Roti Making Class with 5-Course Dinner: $50
- Harbour Dinner Cruise with Buffet: $50
- Sydney Harbour Discovery Dinner Cruise Scenic Sights and Buffet: $50
- Foraging Food Tour Sydney Native Aussie Food: $53
- Sydney's Little Italy Food Tour: $54
- Harbor Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $59
- Twilight Dinner Cruise on Coral Trekker: $59
- Sydney Harbour Tall Ship Twilight Dinner Cruise: $60
- Taste of Sydney Fish Market Food Tour: $64
- Kids Cooking Classes: $64
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.Sydney $31Cape Town $25
Typical Entertainment Prices in Sydney
Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Theatre Show$29
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Sydney Tower Visit (for 2)$30
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Blue Mountain Tour/Featherdale Park (for 2)$125
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Powerhouse Museum$9.85
Tours and Activities in Sydney
Here are a few actual costs in Sydney for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Sunrise Serenity Kayak Tour of Sydney Harbour: $104
- #1 Blue Mountains Tour Scenic World Waterfalls Wildlife Park: $188
- 1 Day Thredbo Snow Adventure: $113
- 1 Day Thredbo Snow Tour From Sydney: $117
- 1/2 day Sydney Sightseeing and Bondi Beach Tour: $45
- 14-Day Sydney to Cairns, Fraser, Whitsundays Comfort Tour: $5,614
- 2 Hours Running Tour in Sydney: $99
- 3 Hours Elvis Tribute Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $53
- 30 Minute Shared Sydney Harbour Scenic Helicopter Tour: $238
- 30-minute Private Sydney Harbour Helicopter Tour for 2: $331
- 45-Minute Sydney Harbour Adventure Jet Boat Ride: $66
- 45-Minute Vivid Sydney Scenic Jet Boat Cruise Tour: $40
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 Peninsula Sightseeing Small Group Tour from Cape Town: $2.65
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.53
- Half Hour Seal and Harbour Cruise from Cape Town: $4.15
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.70
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.70
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: A Self-guided Audio Tour: $5.34
- The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
- Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Return Ticket : $5.68
- Cape Town Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.81
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySydney $15Cape Town $22
Typical Alcohol Prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Sydney:
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Wine$10
Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sydney:
- Wollongong Bar Crawl Go Out with a Gong: $15
- Big Night Out Pub Crawl with Local Party Hosts: $32
- Private Wine Tasting at The Rocks: $46
- Sydney Cellar Door - Old Vine Expressions Wine Tasting: $47
- Marrickville Brewery Tour: $78
- From: Sydney - Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Guided Day Tour: $89
- Sydney Beer and Brewery Tour: $103
- Brewery, Winery, and Distillery Tasting Tour: $112
- From Full-Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour & Lunch: $145
- From Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Day Tour: $145
- From Hunter Valley Multi-Brewery Tour with Lunch: $149
- Small Group Hunter Valley Wine Tour + Lunch, Gin & Choc ex Sydney: $151
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 comparing the travel costs between Sydney and Cape Town, we can see that Sydney is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Sydney is in Pacific and Cape Town is in Africa, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sydney Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sydney or Cape Town?
Sydney has a larger population, and is about 28% larger than the population of Cape Town. When comparing the sizes of Sydney 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.
When is the best time to visit Sydney or Cape Town?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the southern hemisphere, summer is in January and winter is in July.
Should I visit Sydney or Cape Town in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Sydney as well as Cape Town. Many visitors come to Sydney in the summer for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences.
In January, Sydney is generally around the same temperature as Cape Town. Daily temperatures in Sydney average around 23°C (73°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Sydney this time of the year. In the summer, Sydney often gets less sunshine than Cape Town. Sydney gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun.
Sydney receives a lot of rain in the summer. Sydney usually gets more rain in January than Cape Town. Sydney gets 116 mm (4.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JanuarySydney 23°C (73°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Sydney or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Sydney are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Most visitors come to Sydney for the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area during these months.
Sydney is around the same temperature as Cape Town in the autumn. The daily temperature in Sydney averages around 19°C (65°F) in April, and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).
It's quite sunny in Cape Town. Sydney usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during autumn. Sydney gets 195 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun in the autumn.
It's quite rainy in Sydney. In April, Sydney usually receives more rain than Cape Town. Sydney gets 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures AprilSydney 19°C (65°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Sydney or Cape Town in the Winter?
Both Cape Town and Sydney during the winter are popular places to visit. The winter months attract visitors to Sydney because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In the winter, Sydney is around the same temperature as Cape Town. Typically, the winter temperatures in Sydney in July average around 12°C (53°F), and Cape Town averages at about 13°C (55°F).
It's quite sunny in Sydney. In the winter, Sydney often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Town. Sydney gets 208 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun.
Sydney usually gets less rain in July than Cape Town. Sydney gets 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JulySydney 12°C (53°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Sydney or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Sydney and Cape Town. The beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty are the main draw to Sydney this time of year.
In October, Sydney is generally around the same temperature as Cape Town. Daily temperatures in Sydney average around 18°C (64°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Sydney, it's very sunny this time of the year. Sydney usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during spring. Sydney gets 240 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun in the spring.
In October, Sydney usually receives more rain than Cape Town. Sydney gets 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures OctoberSydney 18°C (64°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Sydney
| Sydney | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 23°C (73°F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 23°C (73°F) | 113 mm (4.4 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 21°C (70°F) | 148 mm (5.8 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 19°C (65°F) | 120 mm (4.7 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 15°C (60°F) | 88 mm (3.5 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 13°C (55°F) | 128 mm (5 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 12°C (53°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 13°C (55°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 15°C (59°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 18°C (64°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 20°C (67°F) | 101 mm (4 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 22°C (71°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 17 mm (0.7 in) |
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.