Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Tallinn?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Tallinn or Johannesburg?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Tallinn or Johannesburg, 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: Tallinn or Johannesburg?
Tallinn
Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. It has a population of more than 430,000 people and is a charming, yet cosmopolitan place to visit. The Old Town is at the center of the city's tourism, and the beauty and architecture is very impressive. The city's close proximity to Helsinki makes it a popular day trip from Finland, but cheap plane flights have also encouraged visitors from around Europe to spend several days in this city. In particular, summer months can become quite crowded.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Tallinn, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Estonia, The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, and The Best Eco Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTallinn €95Johannesburg €88
The average daily cost (per person) in Tallinn is €95, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is €88. 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 Tallinn and Johannesburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTallinn €47Johannesburg €51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTallinn €94Johannesburg €102
Compare Hotels in Tallinn and Johannesburg
Looking for a hotel in Tallinn 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.
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: Tallinn Hotel Prices and Johannesburg Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tallinn €12Johannesburg €15
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Tallinn
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Tallinn:
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Tram Around Town for Two€1.66
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tallinn
Also for Tallinn, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Tallinn hotels to Tallinn Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $16
- Private Transfer from Tallinn Airport(TLL) to Tallinn Cruise Port: $16
- Private Transfer from Tallinn Cruise Port to Tallinn Airport(TLL): $16
- Private Transfer from Tallinn Cruise Port to Tallinn hotels : $16
- Tallinn Airport (TLL) to Tallinn Cruise Port - Round-Trip Privat Transfer: $33
- Tallinn Cruise Port to Tallinn hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $33
- Arrival private transfer from Tallinn Airport or Port to Tallinn by Luxury Van: $41
- Departure private transfer from Tallinn to Tallinn TLL Airport by Luxury Van: $41
- Private Airport Transfer: $43
- Talinn Airport and City Private Transfer: $44
- Highlights Shore Excursion with Return Transfer: $48
- Airport Transfer Service: $48
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride€3.01
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Suncity Transfer: $194
- Shuttle Transfer from Johannesburg Airport to Hazyview: $66
- Private executive transfer to sun city or airport/hotels : $118
- Private Van Airport Transfers : Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria: $71
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van: $72
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Car: $103
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Sedan Car: $61
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $72
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Car: $103
- Private Transfer, Airports to Cradle of Humankind & Muldersdrift : $147
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg To Pilanesberg: $221
- Private Transfer from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) to Pretoria hotels: $164
Is it cheaper to fly into Tallinn or Johannesburg?
Prices for flights to both Johannesburg and Tallinn 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 dayTallinn €36Johannesburg €16
Typical Food Prices in Tallinn
For Tallinn, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two€7.68
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Dessert€1.15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tallinn
For Tallinn, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Tallinn TV Tower evening dinner (2-course meal): $56
- Tallinn TV Tower evening dinner (3-course meal): $64
- Tallinn Russian Dinner: $84
- Tallinn Food Tour: $116
- Tallinn 3-Hour Estonian Food Tour: $127
- Tallinn Food Tour with Round-trip Transfer Port-City: $137
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
- Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $41
- A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
- JOBURG DINNERS : MABONENG CITY DINNER: $97
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $99
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $216
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tallinn €5.63Johannesburg €20
Tours and Activities in Tallinn
For Tallinn, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
- Tallinn Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.56
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt and Tour: $7.00
- Aegna Island: Self-Guided Discovery Tour: $8.60
- Tales of Reval Smartphone App Self-Guided GPS Walking Tour: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Tallinn Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Tour to the Paljassaare Special Protection Area: $14
- Terrific Tallinn Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
- Self-Guided Tour to Most Instagrammable Places in Tallinn: $15
- Virtual Time Travel Experience VR Tallinn 1939/44 I: $16
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Golf Tour, Sun City , Gary Player Course - Rated the Best: $227
- Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $122
- Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $194
- Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $96
- Soweto half day tour including Mandela House.Private transport: $72
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $30
- 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,701
- 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $4,052
- 3 Day Kruger National Park Tour from Johannesburg: $807
- 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $832
- 4-Day Private Tour Johannesburg and Pretoria - See everything in 4 days : $214
- 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,735
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTallinn €15Johannesburg €4.39
Sample the Local Flavors in Tallinn
Also in Tallinn, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Mad Monk’s Pub Crawl Tallinn: $22
- Tallinn Pub Crawl (Ex The Epic Bar Crawl): $27
- Tallinn Exclusive Pub & Bar Crawl - Free Drinks, Local Guide: $42
- Tallinn Brewery Fiesta: $72
- Tallinn Guided Bar Crawl: $124
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: $8.23
- Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $115
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $226
When comparing the travel costs between Tallinn and Johannesburg, we can see that Tallinn 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 Tallinn is in Europe and Johannesburg 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 Tallinn Expensive? and Is Johannesburg Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Tallinn or Johannesburg?
Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Tallinn. When comparing the sizes of Tallinn and Johannesburg, 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.