Travel Budget for Port Elizabeth Visit Port Elizabeth on a Budget or Travel in Style

Port Elizabeth, Province of Eastern Cape, South Africa

How much does it cost to travel to Port Elizabeth?

You should plan to spend around $44 (R831) per day on your vacation in Port Elizabeth. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $13 (R256) on meals
  • $9.44 (R180) on local transportation
  • $46 (R882) on hotels

A one week trip to Port Elizabeth for two people costs, on average, $610 (R11,632). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    $44
    R831
  • One Week Per person
    $305
    R5,816
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $610
    R11,632
  • One Month Per person
    $1,308
    R24,925
  • One Week For a couple
    $610
    R11,632
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $1,220
    R23,264
  • One Month For a couple
    $2,615
    R49,851
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.


How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Port Elizabeth cost?

A one week trip to Port Elizabeth usually costs around $305 (R5,816) for one person and $610 (R11,632) for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Port Elizabeth on average costs around $610 (R11,632) for one person and $1,220 (R23,264) for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Port Elizabeth will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Port Elizabeth on average costs around $1,308 (R24,925) for one person and $2,615 (R49,851) for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Port Elizabeth has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Port Elizabeth expensive to visit?

Port Elizabeth is a very affordable place to visit. Located in South Africa, which is a reasonably affordable country, visitors will appreciate the lower prices of this destination. It is in the top 10% of cities in the country for its affordability. Budget travelers enjoy spending long periods of time exploring Port Elizabeth in depth.

Within Africa, Port Elizabeth is a reasonably affordable destination compared to other places. It is in the top 25% of cities in Africa for its affordability. You can find more affordable cities such as Merzouga, but there are also more expensive cities, such as Dar es Salaam.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Port Elizabeth Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Port Elizabeth?

The average Port Elizabeth trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Port Elizabeth travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) R882 ($46)
Local Transportation 1 R180 ($9)
Food 2 R256 ($13)
Entertainment 1 R176 ($9)
Alcohol 2 R24 - 73 ($1 - 4)
Accommodation Budget in Port Elizabeth
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Port Elizabeth is $23 (R441). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Port Elizabeth is $46 (R882). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $23
    R441
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $46
    R882

Hotel Prices in Port Elizabeth

Looking for a hotel in Port Elizabeth? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

 

Actual Hotel Prices
The average hotel room price in Port Elizabeth based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $48. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.


Recommended Properties


Transportation Budget in Port Elizabeth
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Port Elizabeth is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $9.44 (R180) per person, per day, on local transportation in Port Elizabeth.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $9.44
    R180


Flights to Port Elizabeth
How much does it cost to go to Port Elizabeth? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Port Elizabeth
The price of renting a car in Port Elizabeth will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Food Budget in Port Elizabeth
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Port Elizabeth can vary, the average cost of food in Port Elizabeth is $13 (R256) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Port Elizabeth should cost around $5.37 (R102) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Port Elizabeth is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $13
    R256


Entertainment Budget in Port Elizabeth
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Port Elizabeth typically cost an average of $9.26 (R176) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $9.26
    R176

Recommended Activities


Alcohol Budget in Port Elizabeth
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $2.55 (R49) on alcoholic beverages in Port Elizabeth per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $2.55
    R49


Port Elizabeth On a Budget
Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Located on the Indian Ocean coastline of South Africa, Port Elizabeth is a major sea port and tourist destination featuring a pleasant climate, opportunities for water sports, historical landmarks, wildlife areas, and clean beaches.
Sights
Situated on the Algoa Bay, many people find themselves passing through Port Elizabeth due to its location right along the Garden Route.  The route is a 300-kilometre stretch of the south-western coast of South Africa, extending from Mossel Bay in the Western Cape to the Storms River in the Eastern Cape. This makes the city a great stopping point to enjoy some beautiful beachfront. Hobie, Humewood, Kings, and Wells Estate Beach are the main swimming beaches, while Pollock beach is good for surfing.  There is also a wide selection of great restaurants that attract visitors as well.
 
For those interested in the history of the place, the Donkin Heritage Trail retraces the steps of the 1820 settlers who gave Port Elizabeth its start.  Wander through the city's historic center and admire Victorian landmarks that still stand today. The trail is a self-guided walk marked with a blue staggered line that runs past 47 places of historical interest in the old Hill area.  Maps are available from the tourism office in the Donkin Lighthouse Building, which is in the Donkin Reserve. 
 
Other cultural and historical attractions include the South Africa Airforce Museum, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, No 7 Castle Hill Museum, and the Red Location Museum.
Neighborhoods
Many people experience the city by heading south along the 5km-long beachfront promenade crossing the Humewood and Summerstrand neighborhoods. Nearby are some of the best swimming locations in South Africa, which include Kings Beach, Hobie Beach, and Pollock Beach. This oceanfront strip is a hub of activity, with runners, cyclists, and ocean-lovers all enjoying the beachside views and ambiance. The area of the city known as Central is the museum and gallery district, harboring a creative community to match its display of public art.  Central is also the historic center of Port Elizabeth along with Richmond Hill, both featuring historic architecture like the Port Elizabeth Library, City Hall, and Opera House, as well as a collection of old Victorian homes.

Activities
Port Elizabeth offers a range of activities from beach-lounging, picnicking, and water sports to historic walks, museum-hopping, and sampling the many flavors of the area. The city is also a great basecamp for animal viewing.  Elephants and other wildlife, for example, can be found at Addo Elephant National Park and many privately-owned game reserves in the area, as well as marine life like dolphins, whales, and African penguins. Sea life can also be experienced at Bayworld. Other activities include hiking, scuba diving, surfing, sandboarding, golfing, and sailing.
Food and Dining
As a major city and tourist destination, Port Elizabeth has just about any food available, including sushi and other Asian fare, Mediterranean cooking, Portuguese dining, Indian dishes, steakhouses, seafood right from the Bay, and even Western favorites like pizza and other boardwalk food. Many restaurants even have views of the beach and oceanfront. Richmond Hill has a vast selection of restaurants. More generally, cuisine of South Africa is characterized by a combination of indigenous, Dutch, French, and Indian influences.  The indigenous side of things mainly consisted of harvesting fruits, nuts, bulbs, leaves, and other items gathered from wild plants as well as the hunting of wild game, though eventually domestic cattle were introduced as well as grain crops like maize.  Today, a staple meal remains mieliepap-a kind of porridge or polenta made from ground maize.  Meat also remains central to the South African diet with braai (barbeque) and biltong (dried & preserved) being the most common methods of preparation.  Beef, mutton, goat, and chicken are all found in South African dishes.  As far as foreign influences go, the Dutch brought spices like nutmeg and chili peppers as well as pickled fish and a variety of fish stews, the French brought wines and traditional recipes from France, and the Indians brought curry dishes, chutneys, and fried snacks, amongst other items.

Transportation
Port Elizabeth International Airport is the nearest source of air transportation, located just a few kilometers out of the city center, and has regular flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and other South African airports. For international travel, a greater range of flights are offered from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The central train station operates daily inter-city trains to Johannesburg and Bloemfontein. Cape Town, Kimberley, Pietermaritzburg and Durban can also be reached by changing trains in Bloemfontein, as well as East London, Mthatha, and Grahamstown by various train changes. Additionally, the city is well-connected by bus, all major South African coach companies offering regular schedules to and from Port Elizabeth.

We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.