Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Venice?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Venice or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Venice and Cape Town can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Venice or Cape Town?
Venice
The canals of Venice are one of the most popular and emulated destinations in the world. In it's hay day, Venice was at the center of politics, exploration, arts and architecture. Today that history is still very much alive and well. The city is unlike any other in the world. The best way to immerse yourself in Venice is to get yourself lost in the alleyways. It's actually quite easy to do and you'll find yourself stumbling into the most interesting places, hidden away from the crowds of Piazzo San Marco.
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 Sightseeing Tours in Italy, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Italy, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVenice €229Cape Town €91
The average daily cost (per person) in Venice is €229, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is €91. 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 Venice and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVenice €120Cape Town €36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVenice €240Cape Town €72
Compare Hotels in Venice and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Venice 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: Venice Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Venice €27Cape Town €16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Venice
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Venice:
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Venice 12 Hour Transport Pass€16
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Vaporetto Ride€6.50
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1 Day Travel Card€18
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7 Day Transport Card (for Two)€101
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Venice
Also for Venice, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Verona Airport (VRN): One Way Transfer to Venice Cruise Port: $377
- Water Taxi Transfer Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta: $34
- VCE Airport and Venice Port 1-Way Private Transfer: $156
- Transfer from Cruise Terminal to Marco Polo Airport: $189
- Transfer from Airport to Trieste Cruise Terminal: $796
- Shared Water Taxi Transfer to Marco Polo Airport: $38
- Private Transfer from Train Station by Water Taxi: $293
- Private Boat Transfer from Cruise Terminal to Hotel: $344
- One-Way Transfer to Florence Airport or Hotel: $1,028
- Marco Polo Airport Water Taxi Transfer: $40
- Bus Transfer between Marco Polo Airport and City: $11
- Boat Transfer to/from Marco Polo Airport w/ 3 Routes: $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From 3-Day Safari and Coastal Tour with Transfer: $508
- From Group Transfer Only to Aquilla Game Reserve: $459
- Big 5 Aquila Safari Private Transfer with Park Fee From Cape Town: $300
- Jeep Dune Adventure Tour, Sandboarding & Transfer: $279
- Shark Cage Diving & Penguins Tour to Gansbaai with private transfers: $274
- Cape Town Morning or Afternoon Safari including private transfer: $254
- Aquila Safari Game Drive, Lunch & Shared Transfers from Cape Town: $252
- Whale Watching In Hermanus with Private Transfer: $250
- Pvt Airport to Hout Bay Transfer: $243
- Full Day Private Chauffeur and Transfer Services in Cape Town: $240
- 1 Day Helderberg Valley Winelands Tour with Private Transfers: $232
- Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Including Cape Town Transfers): $230
Is it cheaper to fly into Venice or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Venice 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 dayVenice €65Cape Town €39
Typical Food Prices in Venice
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Venice:
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Panini Sandwich€4.00
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Gelato€6.00
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Artichoke & Mushroom Pizza€7.90
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Expresso€1.95
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Slice of Pizza€2.23
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Three Course Dinner (for Two)€79
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Venice
For Venice, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $30
- Hard Rock Cafe Venice with Set Lunch or Dinner: $32
- Tiramisu Cooking Class on Line from Venice: $35
- Street Food Tour with a Local Guide and Tastings: $47
- Small Group Venice Street Food Tour with Expert Local Guide: $48
- Venice Street Food Tour with Local Guide with Local Food Market Visit: $48
- Street Food Tour of Venice in 2.5 hours: $48
- Eating Venice Street Food Tour with Guided Tasting and Sightseeing: $48
- Guided City Highlights and Street Food Tour: $52
- Venetian Dinner: $62
- Twilight Food Tour with Cicchetti and Spritz Tasting: $64
- Venetian Dinner: $68
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:
- Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $28
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $41
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $43
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $55
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $56
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $59
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $61
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $61
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $62
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $71
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
- Private Cooking Class and Meal in Local Wynberg Cape Town Home: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Venice €101Cape Town €21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Venice
For Venice, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Venice Boat Ride€15
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Bell tower of St. Mark Entrance Fee€8.00
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Gondola Ride (for Group)€80
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Secret Itinerary Tour- Doge's Palace€16
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The Jewish Museum Admission€3.00
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The Glass Museum in Murano€8.00
Tours and Activities in Venice
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Venice.
- From Vicenza Private Tour: $283
- Peggy Guggenheim collection Venice private tour: $75
- Private Grand Canal 1-Hour Boat Tour: $263
- Small-group Saint Mark’s Basilica Skip-the-line Tour: $54
- Venice Top-Attractions Walking Tour for Kids & Families & Child-Friendly Guide: $240
- Private 2-Hour Doge's Palace Tour: $217
- Friendinvenice, how to experience the true Venice, private tour: $126
- 2 Hours Private Boat Tour in the Lagoon at Sunset with Aperitif: $104
- 2-Hour Venice with Kids and Family Friendly Private Guided Tour: $274
- 2hr Night Kayak Tour in premium tour with sunset: $128
- 3 Hours Venice walking tour: $93
- 3 Hours Walking Tour in Venice Small Group: $81
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $137
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $192
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $192
- Cape Point Private Tour withTable Mountain and Penguin Colony : $257
- Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope day tour Up to 10 persons: $66
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $280
- Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $30
- CapeWinelands Private Tour to Stellenbosch,Franschhoek and Paarl: $96
- Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $166
- Long Walk to Freedom in Robben Island including Ticket & Afrogem: $156
- Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $165
- Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $114
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVenice €24Cape Town €19
Typical Alcohol Prices in Venice
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Venice:
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1/2 Liter Wine€5.20
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Beer€4.90
Sample the Local Flavors in Venice
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Venice:
- Venice Food and Wine Tasting Tour with a Local Guide: $8.74
- Guided Tour and wine tasting 5 wines to discover the Conegliano Valdobbiadene: $27
- Guided Visit and Wine Tasting at the Winery in Veneto: $27
- Wine Tasting in Venice: $38
- private tour in the city and wine tasting: $51
- Wine tasting Asolo Prosecco at Tenuta Baron: $59
- Food and Wine Tasting Bar Tour & Evening Guided Tour: $72
- Venetian Style Carnival Pub Crawl: $80
- Venetian Style Carnival Pub Crawl: $82
- Eat, drink and repeat: Wine tasting tour in Venice: $98
- Authentic Neighborhood Cicchetti Food & Wine Tour: $106
- A Venetian Evening - Wine Tasting & Tapas tour with a Local guide: $109
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:
- Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $7.13
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.60
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $25
- Sip 15 Wines on a 3-Region Wine Tour with Cheese: $38
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $38
- Three Region Wine Tour: $44
- Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $47
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $49
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $51
- Fullday Wine Tour: $51
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $54
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Venice and Cape Town, we can see that Venice is more expensive. And not only is Cape Town much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Venice is in Europe and Cape Town is in Africa, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Cape Town would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cape Town 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 Venice would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Venice than you might in Cape Town.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Venice Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Venice or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Venice. When comparing the sizes of Venice 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 Venice or Cape Town?
Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Cape Town is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Venice has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].
Should I visit Venice or Cape Town in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Venice and Cape Town. Most visitors come to Venice for the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In July, Venice is generally around the same temperature as Cape Townin January. Daily temperatures in Venice average around 23°C (73°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Venice, it's very sunny this time of the year. Venice usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during summer. Venice gets 287 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Venice usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Venice gets 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryVenice 23°C (73°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Venice or Cape Town in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Venice as well as Cape Town. The autumn months attract visitors to Venice because of the shopping scene and the natural beauty of the area.
Venice is cooler than Cape Town in the autumn. The daily temperature in Venice averages around 14°C (57°F) in October, and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F)in April.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. In the autumn, Venice often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Venice gets 134 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.
Venice usually gets more rain in October than Cape Townin April. Venice gets 67 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilVenice 14°C (57°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Venice or Cape Town in the Winter?
Both Cape Town and Venice are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Venice this time of year.
It's quite cold in Venice in the winter. In the winter, Venice is much colder than Cape Town. Typically, the winter temperatures in Venice in January average around 3°C (37°F), and Cape Town averages at about 13°C (55°F)in July.
Venice usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Venice gets 88 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Venice usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Venice gets 58 mm (2.3 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyVenice 3°C (37°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Venice or Cape Town in the Spring?
Both Cape Town and Venice during the spring are popular places to visit. Many travelers come to Venice for the natural beauty.
In April, Venice is generally cooler than Cape Townin October. Daily temperatures in Venice average around 13°C (55°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 16°C (61°F).
In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the spring, Venice often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Venice gets 154 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.
Venice usually gets more rain in April than Cape Townin October. Venice gets 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberVenice 13°C (55°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Venice
| Venice | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 3°C (37°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 5°C (41°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 8°C (47°F) | 57 mm (2.3 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 13°C (55°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 17°C (63°F) | 67 mm (2.6 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 21°C (69°F) | 77 mm (3 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 23°C (73°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 19°C (67°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 14°C (57°F) | 67 mm (2.7 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 8°C (47°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 4°C (38°F) | 50 mm (1.9 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.