Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Zanzibar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayZanzibar $52Cape Town $96
The average daily cost (per person) in Zanzibar is $52, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $96. 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 $25Cape Town $38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomZanzibar $50Cape Town $76
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 $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zanzibar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zanzibar:
- Zanzibar:Prison Island,Nakupenda Sandbank Tour with transfer: $141
- Zanzibar:Hotels & Airport Transfer Services: $50
- Stone Town to Airport Private Transfer: $23
- Splash Transfer: $60
- Safari blue tour with Lunch and Transfers: $180
- Private Airport Transfers to Stone Town: $22
- Private Airport Transfer: $50
- Jozani Forest and Spice Farm Tour With Transfer: $110
- Island Transfers: $50
- Fishing Boat Tour with Transfer: $109
- Baraka Turtle Aquarium Tour with Hotel Transfers: $80
- Airport_Hotel and Destination Transfer Service: $29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers To Hermanus: $217
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Camps Bay Cape Town: $17
- Airport transfers: $22
- 1 Day Durbanville Valley Wine Tasting Tour with Private Transfers: $176
- 1 Day Explore Cape Town Like a Local with Private Guided Transfer: $146
- 1 Day Helderberg Valley Winelands Tour with Private Transfers: $228
- 1 Day Hemel en Aarde Whale Coast Wine Tour with Private Transfers: $201
- 1 Day Wine Lover Wander Connoisseur Tour with Private Transfers: $176
- 1-3 Passenger Private Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $53
- 1-3 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $27
- 1.Cape Town Airport Transfer (&Private tour trips during yo Stay): $16
- 4-7 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $65
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 $17Cape Town $41
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zanzibar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zanzibar.
- Authentic Street Food Tours in Stone Town, Zanzibar: $40
- An romantic cooking Lesson + Spice Farm Tour: $44
- Zanzibar Cooking Class [Swahili food test ] and Spice farm Private tour: $59
- Zanzibar Spice farm and Cooking Class: $60
- Spice Tour & Cooking Class in Zanzibar: $60
- Local Cooking Class with Spice Tour in Zanzibar: $60
- Walking Spice Farm with Local Cooking Class: $60
- Spice Farm tour & Local cooking lesson with Lunch: $64
- Stone Town Private Food Tour with a Guide: $65
- Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $65
- Traditional Zanzibar Cooking Class including Spice Tour: $68
- Zanzibar Spice Farm Tour and Cooking Class : $75
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: $27
- Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $27
- Cape Malay Cooking with a Chef Founder: $28
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $40
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $43
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $54
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $56
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $59
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $60
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $61
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $75
- Private Cooking Class and Meal in Local Wynberg Cape Town Home: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Zanzibar $13Cape Town $23
Tours and Activities in Zanzibar
Here are a few actual costs in Zanzibar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Full Day Spice Tour, Prison Island and City Tours: $140
- Half-Day Walking Tour in Zanzibar City's Spice Island: $63
- Spice Farm & Prison Island Tour in Zanzibar: $87
- Stone City, Spice Farm and Prison Island Full Day Tour: $130
- Stonetown Private Half-day Walking Tour: $35
- Zanzibar Spice Tour : $47
- 10 DAYS MOSHI TO ZANZIBAR BIKE TOUR: $4,286
- 2 days tour from Jozani forest to Stone town zanzibar: $270
- 2day Zanzibar adventure: Prison Island & Sandbank (all-incl): $535
- 3 Hours Private Stone Town Walking Tour : $30
- 3-Day Selous Game Reserve Safari & Cultural tour with Flight: $1,345
- 3-Hour Private City Tour in Zanzibar Island : $33
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $2.99
- District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $3.20
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.52
- Kirstenbosch: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $3.99
- V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise: $4.00
- Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $4.07
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.24
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.24
- Meandering through Mouille Point: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.99
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Return Ticket : $5.22
- Private Guided Tour of Cape Town Diamond Museum: $5.33
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayZanzibar $6.91Cape Town $20
Sample the Local Flavors in Zanzibar
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Zanzibar:
- Pub Crawl & Club Experience: $30
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: $9.36
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $19
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $24
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $27
- From 3 Regions Wine Tour with 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $37
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $38
- Three Region Wine Tour: $43
- Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $46
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $48
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $50
- Fullday Wine Tour: $51
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $53
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.