Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Zanzibar?
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 Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar 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: Zanzibar or Cape Town?
Zanzibar
Just off the coast of Tanzania lies an entrancing archipelago known as Zanzibar. This gorgeous string of islands is the land of sultans, palaces beaches and spice-filled markets. Once an important trading center, many restorations have been done in recent years to restore Zanzibar to its ancient grandeur - earning its capital city UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.
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 Eco Tours in Tanzania, The Best Cultural Tours in Tanzania, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Zanzibar Prices
Tanzania PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayZanzibar $62Cape Town $187
The average daily cost (per person) in Zanzibar is $62, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $187. 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 Zanzibar and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personZanzibar $24Cape Town $87
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomZanzibar $48Cape Town $174
Compare Hotels in Zanzibar and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Zanzibar 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: Zanzibar Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Zanzibar $11Cape Town $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zanzibar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zanzibar:
- Premium Transfer from Zanzibar Airport ⇋ Nungwi: $65
- Premium Transfer from Zanzibar Airport ⇋ Kiwengwa: $65
- Premium Transfer from Zanzibar Airport ⇋ Kendwa: $65
- Airport Transfer: $90
- Zanzibar Tour in Secret Beach, Kuza Cave and Jozani with transfer: $120
- Zanzibar Taxi & Transfer Services – From Airport to All Resorts: $16
- Zanzibar Shared Departure Transfer: $56
- Zanzibar Sea Fishing Boat Tour experience with Transfer: $85
- Zanzibar Private Transfer from Michamvi Beach to the Airport: $44
- Zanzibar Private Round Trip Airport Transfer: $121
- Zanzibar Private Departure Transfer from Paje Beach to the Airport: $44
- Zanzibar Private Departure Transfer from Nungwi Beach to the Airport: $44
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 1-4 Passenger Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $61
- 1-4 Passenger Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $31
- AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $17
- Airport Transfer from Cape Town International: $37
- Airport Transfer: Airport CPT to Cape Town by Luxury Car: $108
- Airport Transfer: Cape Town to Cape Town Airport CPT in Luxury Car: $97
- Airport Transfers Cape Town: $62
- Airport Transfers to and from Cape Town International Airport: $37
- Airport and day tour transfers to Cape Town International Airport: $34
- Airport transfers and tours: $43
- Aquila Safari Private Transfers Vehicle/Driver ONLY: $155
- Arrival Private Transfer: Cape Town Airport CPT to Cape Town in Van: $76
Is it cheaper to fly into Zanzibar or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Zanzibar 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 dayZanzibar $28Cape Town $80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zanzibar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zanzibar.
- Zanzi Nights Stone Town Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $45
- Zanzibar Traditional Cooking Class: $49
- Zanzibar Walking Spice Farm with Local Cooking Class: $50
- Zanzibar Traditional Cooking Class and Spice Farm: $59
- Zanzibar Spice Tour & Cooking Class: $69
- Zanzibar Cooking Lesson: $70
- Cooking Class Tour: $75
- Zanzibar Cultural Cuisines Cooking Class & Spice Farm Tour: $75
- Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $77
- Zanzibar Spice and Night Market Cooking and Street Food Tour: $80
- 5 Hours Guided Spice Tour and Cooking Class in Zanzibar: $97
- A Half Day Private Cooking Class At the Spice Farm: $107
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:
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $61
- Cape Town Cooking Class & Wine Pairing with Award-Winning Chef: $69
- PRIVATE South African Home Cooking Class in Cape Town with Annika: $82
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $85
- Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $87
- Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
- Cape Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $99
- Cape town Dinner Restaurant African Food With Live Music: $110
- Little Mogadishu Food Tour in Bellville, Cape Town: $112
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $112
- The Cape Town Essentials Food Tour: $141
- Private Walking Food Tour in the Mother City CBD: $186
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Zanzibar $13Cape Town $26
Tours and Activities in Zanzibar
Here are a few actual costs in Zanzibar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Days Tour In Zanzibar: $180
- 2 days tour from Jozani forest to Stone town zanzibar: $270
- 3 hours Spice Tour in Tanzania: $80
- 3inONE, Private Spice, Stone Town & Prison Island Tours: $120
- 5 HOURS Stone Town Tour Including Pick-up and Drop off: $70
- 8 Days Zanzibar Discovery Adventure: $220
- A Full Day Safari Blue Tour And Blue Lagoon: $140
- A Half Day Private Dolphins And Snorkeling Tour To Mnemba Island: $95
- A Half Day Private Nungwi Village Tour (With Turtles Aquarium): $78
- A Half Day Private Prison Island Tour: $106
- A Half Day Private Stone Town Tour: $85
- A Half Day Private Tour To Jozani Forest: $87
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $4.03
- Cape Town's original shoreline: a self-guided audio tour: $5.00
- Self-Guided Podcast Tour The Soul of Bo Kaap: $6.86
- 30 Minute Harbour Cruise in Cape town: $8.06
- Skip the Line: World of Birds Admission Ticket: $8.99
- Cape Town Walking Tour with Audioguide on Your Smartphone: $11
- The Art of Chocolate Making Bean-To-Bar Experience in Cape Town: $12
- Cape Wheel Admission Ticket: $17
- Skip the Line: South African Jewish Museum Admission Ticket: $19
- Bay Sail Adventure on the Spirit of Victoria: $22
- The Heart of Cape Town Museum Admission Ticket: $25
- 1- Hour Catamaran Cruise Cape Town: $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayZanzibar $6.76Cape Town $23
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:
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $37
- Uncork the Cape : Stellenboch Half Day Wine Tour: $56
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $58
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $68
- Wine Tour :Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch with 3 Wine Tastings: $71
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $72
- Wine tasting tour: $78
- Full Day Stellenbosch Paarl and Franschhoek Private Wine Tour: $78
- Cape Point, Penguins & Wine Tasting In Constantia Full Day Tour: $79
- Private Stellenbosch Wine Tour: $99
- Private Full Day Wine Tasting of Western Cape: $99
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Zanzibar and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Zanzibar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Zanzibar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Zanzibar 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town than you might in Zanzibar.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Zanzibar Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Zanzibar or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Zanzibar. When comparing the sizes of Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Zanzibar experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Zanzibar or Cape Town in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Zanzibar as well as Cape Town. Zanzibar attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In July, Zanzibar is generally a little warmer than Cape Townin January. Daily temperatures in Zanzibar average around 25°C (77°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 Zanzibar this time of the year. In the summer, Zanzibar often gets less sunshine than Cape Townin January. Zanzibar gets 224 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun.
Zanzibar usually gets more rain in July than Cape Townin January. Zanzibar gets 31 mm (1.2 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 July and JanuaryZanzibar 25°C (77°F)Cape Town 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Cape Town in the Autumn?
Both Cape Town and Zanzibar are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Zanzibar throughout the year.
Zanzibar is a little warmer than Cape Town in the autumn. The daily temperature in Zanzibar averages around 25°C (78°F) in October, and Cape Town fluctuates around 18°C (64°F)in April.
It's quite sunny in Cape Town. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Zanzibar. Zanzibar usually receives more sunshine than Cape Town during autumn. Zanzibar gets 275 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Zanzibar usually receives more rain than Cape Townin April. Zanzibar gets 66 mm (2.6 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 October and AprilZanzibar 25°C (78°F)Cape Town 18°C (64°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Cape Town in the Winter?
Both Cape Town and Zanzibar during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Zanzibar because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In the winter, Zanzibar is much warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the winter temperatures in Zanzibar in January average around 28°C (82°F), and Cape Town averages at about 13°C (55°F)in July.
It's quite sunny in Zanzibar. In the winter, Zanzibar often gets more sunshine than Cape Townin July. Zanzibar gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun.
Zanzibar usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as Cape Townin July. Zanzibar gets 78 mm (3.1 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 January and JulyZanzibar 28°C (82°F)Cape Town 13°C (55°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Cape Town in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Zanzibar and Cape Town. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Zanzibar year-round.
In April, Zanzibar is generally much warmer than Cape Townin October. Daily temperatures in Zanzibar average around 27°C (81°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. Zanzibar usually receives less sunshine than Cape Town during spring. Zanzibar gets 155 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun in the spring.
Zanzibar gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Zanzibar usually receives more rain than Cape Townin October. Zanzibar gets 269 mm (10.6 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 April and OctoberZanzibar 27°C (81°F)Cape Town 16°C (61°F)
Typical Weather for Cape Town and Zanzibar
| Zanzibar | Cape Town | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 28°C (82°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (82°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (83°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (81°F) | 269 mm (10.6 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 26°C (78°F) | 176 mm (6.9 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 68 mm (2.7 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (76°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Jul | 25°C (77°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 27 mm (1.1 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 77 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 25°C (76°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (78°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 33 mm (1.3 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (80°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) | 19°C (65°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 116 mm (4.6 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.