A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Warsaw vs. Cape Town for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Warsaw or Cape Town?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Warsaw and Cape Town can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Warsaw or Cape Town?

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital city of Poland. It has a population of 1.7 million, making it the country's largest city. Located on the Vistula River, it is a popular tourist destination for its interesting architecture and culture. The right bank of the river was the first area to become populated in the 9th or 10 century. Today, however, the city's central district is on the left bank of the river. The Old Town, where you will find many sights and attractions, is fully contained within the city center.

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 Poland, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Krakow, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Warsaw?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Warsaw is $94, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $98. 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 Warsaw and Cape Town in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Warsaw $52
    Cape Town $39
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Warsaw $104
    Cape Town $78
Compare Hotels in Warsaw and Cape Town

Looking for a hotel in Warsaw 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.

Hotels in Warsaw


Hotels in Cape Town


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: Warsaw Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Warsaw $4.68
    Cape Town $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Warsaw

Also for Warsaw, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • from Warsaw to Krakow private transfer: $498
  • Wilanow Palace and Gardens with Guide, Tickets and Transfers: $212
  • Private Transfer to/from Krakow: $448
  • Private Economy Transfer Airport -City 1-3 person: $67
  • Gun Shooting Experience with Transfers: $84
  • Extreme Shooting Range Experience with Transfers: $176
  • Extreme Shooting Range Experience with Transfer: $175
  • Economy Private Warsaw Okecie Airport Transfer: $57
  • Chopin Airport Private Transfer: $82
  • Chopin & Modlin Airport Transfers: $65
  • Bus Transfer to/from Vilnus: $36
  • Warsaw Private Transfer from Warsaw city centre to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW): $41

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: $273
  • Aquila Safari Game Drive, Lunch & Shared Transfers from Cape Town: $251
  • 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 Hemel en Aarde Whale Coast Wine Tour with Private Transfers: $204
  • Cape Town:- Airport to Table View One way Transfer: $189
  • Hermanus: Airport Transfer: $184

Is it cheaper to fly into Warsaw or Cape Town?

Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Warsaw 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
    Warsaw $27
    Cape Town $42
Typical Food Prices in Warsaw

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Warsaw:


  • Dinner for Two
    $13
  • Lunch for Two
    $10

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Warsaw

For Warsaw, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Lunch or Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe with Skip-the-Line: $19
  • Breakfast Market Food Tour in Warsaw: $56
  • Warsaw's No 1 cooking class-Polish dumplings with liqueur tasting: $61
  • Polish Dumplings Cooking Class: $62
  • Traditional Polish Cooking Class in Warsaw: $79
  • Traditional Polish Cooking Class with liquor tasting in Warsaw: $89
  • Polish Food Tour: $93
  • Taste of Poland - Old Town food tour and guided walk in one: $95
  • 4-Hour Polish Food Tour: $110
  • The 10 Tastings of Warsaw With Locals: Private Food Tour : $117
  • EVERYDAY Warsaw Traditional Food Tour with Old Town Sightseeing: $156
  • Traditional Food Tour with Old Town Sightseeing: $156

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:

  • 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: $70
  • Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $76
  • South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
  • Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Warsaw $7.02
    Cape Town $23

Tours and Activities in Warsaw

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Warsaw.

  • 1-day tour from Warsaw to Kazimierz Dolny : $229
  • 2 Hour Super Segway City Tour of Warsaw: $67
  • 2-Hour Breakfast Experience in a Home from Warsaw: $49
  • 3 Hour VIP Warsaw Guided City Tour: $207
  • 3-Hour Guided Cycling Tour of Warsaw: $38
  • 5-Hour Private Walking Night Tour in Warsaw: $63
  • 6 Hour Private Car Tour to Treblinka With Hotel Pickup: $307
  • Architecture Walking Tour in Warsaw: $76
  • Best of Warsaw Full-Day Private Tour with Private Transport: $154
  • Best of Warsaw Full-Day Private Tour with Private Transport: $154
  • Chopin's Warsaw - guided tour in a minivan with evening piano concert: $67
  • Chopin’s Warsaw - City tour in the footsteps of Frédéric Chopin: $69

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 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
  • Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $166
  • Mandela's Robben Island Museum Bo-Kaap Cape Town City Tour + Ferry ticket f/d: $166
  • Penguins Private Tour- Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point Tour from Cape Town: $114
  • Private Tour Cape of Good Hope with Penguins : $155
  • Private Tour to Robben Island and Cape Point in Cape Town: $121
  • South African Traditional Braai (BBQ) Experience & Winetasting : $138
  • ( Cape Town Private Tour ) Hermanus Whale Watching Full Day : $251
  • ( Cape town ) Private Winelands Tasting Full Day Tour: $173
  • ( Cape town Private Tour ) Hermanus Shark Cage Diving : $252

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Warsaw $10
    Cape Town $21

Sample the Local Flavors in Warsaw

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Warsaw:

  • The Original Pub Crawl: $16
  • #1 Pub Crawl Warsaw with Premium Open Bar: $20
  • Pub Crawl with 1-Hour Open Bar: $20
  • Warsaw Wine Tasting Private Tour with Wine Expert: $177

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: $7.17
  • Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.66
  • African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $24
  • Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $28
  • 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
  • From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $52


When comparing the travel costs between Warsaw and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town 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 Warsaw is in Europe 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 Warsaw Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Warsaw or Cape Town?

Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Warsaw. When comparing the sizes of Warsaw 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 Warsaw 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 Warsaw has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].

Should I visit Warsaw or Cape Town in the Summer?

The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Warsaw and Cape Town. Many travelers come to Warsaw for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.

In the summer, Warsaw is cooler than Cape Town. Typically, the summer temperatures in Warsaw in July average around 19°C (65°F), and Cape Town averages at about 21°C (70°F)in January.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Warsaw, it's very sunny this time of the year. Warsaw usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Town during summer. Warsaw gets 353 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.

In July, Warsaw usually receives more rain than Cape Townin January. Warsaw gets 67 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July and January
    Warsaw 19°C (65°F) 
    Cape Town 21°C (70°F)

Should I visit Warsaw or Cape Town in the Autumn?

The autumn brings many poeple to Warsaw as well as Cape Town. Many visitors come to Warsaw in the autumn for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.

In October, Warsaw is generally much colder than Cape Townin April. Daily temperatures in Warsaw average around 9°C (49°F), and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. In the autumn, Warsaw often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin April. Warsaw gets 135 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun.

Warsaw usually gets less rain in October than Cape Townin April. Warsaw gets 38 mm (1.5 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October and April
    Warsaw 9°C (49°F) 
    Cape Town 18°C (64°F)

Should I visit Warsaw or Cape Town in the Winter?

Both Cape Town and Warsaw are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. Most visitors come to Warsaw for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months.

Warsaw can be very cold during winter. Warsaw is much colder than Cape Town in the winter. The daily temperature in Warsaw averages around -3°C (27°F) in January, and Cape Town fluctuates around 13°C (55°F)in July.

Warsaw usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during winter. Warsaw gets 35 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun in the winter.

In January, Warsaw usually receives less rain than Cape Townin July. Warsaw gets 22 mm (0.9 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain each month for the winter.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January and July
    Warsaw -3°C (27°F) 
    Cape Town 13°C (55°F)

Should I visit Warsaw or Cape Town in the Spring?

Both Cape Town and Warsaw during the spring are popular places to visit. The spring months attract visitors to Warsaw because of the activities around the city and the natural beauty.

In the spring, Warsaw is much colder than Cape Town. Typically, the spring temperatures in Warsaw in April average around 9°C (47°F), and Cape Town averages at about 16°C (61°F)in October.

In Cape Town, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Warsaw. In the spring, Warsaw often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin October. Warsaw gets 247 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun.

Warsaw usually gets around the same amount of rain in April as Cape Townin October. Warsaw gets 32 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April and October
    Warsaw 9°C (47°F) 
    Cape Town 16°C (61°F)

Typical Weather for Cape Town and Warsaw

Warsaw Cape Town
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan -3°C (27°F) 22 mm (0.9 in) 21°C (70°F) 14 mm (0.6 in)
Feb -1°C (30°F) 21 mm (0.8 in) 21°C (70°F) 16 mm (0.6 in)
Mar 3°C (37°F) 28 mm (1.1 in) 20°C (68°F) 21 mm (0.8 in)
Apr 9°C (47°F) 32 mm (1.3 in) 18°C (64°F) 41 mm (1.6 in)
May 14°C (57°F) 59 mm (2.3 in) 15°C (59°F) 68 mm (2.7 in)
Jun 17°C (63°F) 72 mm (2.8 in) 13°C (56°F) 93 mm (3.7 in)
Jul 19°C (65°F) 67 mm (2.6 in) 13°C (55°F) 83 mm (3.3 in)
Aug 18°C (65°F) 63 mm (2.5 in) 13°C (55°F) 77 mm (3 in)
Sep 14°C (58°F) 43 mm (1.7 in) 14°C (58°F) 41 mm (1.6 in)
Oct 9°C (49°F) 38 mm (1.5 in) 16°C (61°F) 33 mm (1.3 in)
Nov 4°C (39°F) 42 mm (1.7 in) 19°C (65°F) 16 mm (0.6 in)
Dec -0°C (31°F) 32 mm (1.3 in) 20°C (68°F) 17 mm (0.7 in)