Visitors to South Africa usually spend between $40 and $258 per day on average for one person and $79 to $517 for two people. While this is a wide range, the average daily cost averages $100 (R1,901) per person. This average includes sightseeing, hotel, food, and local transportation expenses from other travelers. Your individual travel expenses may vary based on travel style and the locations visited, but if you plan wisely while visiting the most popular destinations, such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Kruger National Park, then you'll likely spend somewhere in this price range while on your trip. Further down we have a breakdown of expenses by category, as well as a comparison of independent travel versus guided tour prices.
If you're traveling independently in South Africa, budget travelers should plan to spend around $40 (R755) a day for their trip. This includes stays at budget hotels or hostels, affordable food options, local transportation, and low-cost activities. For those on a mid-range budget, plan for around $100 (R1,901) a day which would cover the cost of a typical hotel, normal restaurants, and a variety of major attractions. Higher-end luxury travelers should allow for $258 (R4,939) per day, which allows for luxury hotel stays, nice restaurants, and private tour options. These price ranges are based on our extensive travel cost data for South Africa from other travelers along with hotel and tour data from travel companies.
3 Days | 7 Days | 14 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Accommodation1 | $138 | $321 | $643 |
Intercity Transportation1 | $128 | $299 | $598 |
Local Transportation1 | $45 | $105 | $211 |
Food2 | $99 | $231 | $462 |
Water2 | $6 | $13 | $26 |
Entertainment1 | $50 | $116 | $231 |
Souvenirs1 | $221 | $515 | $1,031 |
Living Expenses2 | $77 | $180 | $360 |
Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps1 | $85 | $198 | $395 |
Alcohol2 | $30 | $69 | $138 |
Tips and Handouts1 | $8 | $18 | $36 |
Most visitors spend between $277 and $1,809 for a one week trip to South Africa, with the average being $697. This includes sightseeing, local transportation, food, and hotels. One week is enough time to visit one, two, or maybe three locations in South Africa, depending on how in-depth you want to make your visit. Some of the most popular places to visit are Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Kruger National Park.
With two weeks, you should budget between $553 and $3,618 for your trip to South Africa. The average price for a two week trip is $1,393. Two weeks will allow you enough time to visit between three and five places. If you're on a budget, you might want to consider some of the more affordable places such as Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, and Durban.
With a month-long trip to South Africa, expenses can be anywhere from $1,186 to $7,754 with the average being $2,985. The cost of travel is dependent on your overall style of travel. If you have a full month, you'll likely want to stay at a vacation rental with a kitchen during at least part of your trip so that you can prepare your own meals. Backpackers often prefer hostels for the same reason. Hostels also offer a more social atmosphere at a very affordable price range.
With more than 70 hostels in South Africa, the average price is $16 per night for a dorm bed. Hostels are a terrific option for younger independent travelers looking to save money while staying social during their trip. With many types of hostels, it can be overwhelming to sort out the best places, though. Our analysis of the hostels in South Africa not only found the average price, but also uncovered some surprises about the overall quality, amenities, and atmosphere of hostels in the region. You can see more details from our analysis about typical hostel prices in South Africa here.
Number of Hostels | Average Price | |
---|---|---|
Cape Town | 34 | $18 |
Johannesburg | 11 | $15 |
Port Elizabeth | 4 | $12 |
Durban | 4 | $15 |
Drakensberg | 3 | $16 |
Wilderness | 3 | $13 |
Here are a few sample prices from popular hostels in South Africa.
You'll find a wide range of hotel options across South Africa. Below are prices for some of the destinations, and for more details see our analysis of hotel costs in South Africa.
City | Average Hotel Price |
---|---|
Kruger National Park | $912 |
Hermanus | $117 |
Cape Town | $79 |
Hibiscus Coast | $75 |
Durban | $63 |
Johannesburg | $54 |
Port Elizabeth | $48 |
Organized tours are an easy and convenient way to visit South Africa. All of the details are handled by travel experts, and during the trip you'll benefit from the knowledge of an expert guide.
Traveling independently offers freedom and flexibility that is hard to find on an organized tour.
Many travelers appreciate the convenience and ease that an organized tour offers. Many tours provide transportation and expert guides that help you enjoy your trip.
Alternatively, you'll enjoy freedom and flexibility with independent travel that is difficult to find with an organized tour.
When we compare the prices of organized tours to the average costs of independent travelers, we can see that sometimes the prices are fairly even.
Organized Package Tours | Independent Travel | |
---|---|---|
3-Day Trip Cost | $260 - $2,700 | $119 - $775 |
7-Day Trip Cost | $1,030 - $6,456 | $277 - $1,809 |
10-Day Trip Cost | $1,280 - $17,200 | $395 - $2,585 |
14-Day Trip Cost | $1,420 - $11,935 | $553 - $3,618 |
Organized tours average $326 per day in South Africa, and are generally all-inclusive with one large payment. Independent trips usually average $100 (R1,901) per day, and include individual payments to hotels, local transportation, food, and sightseeing. When compared, organized tours and independent trips each come with their own set of challenges and benefits. It's important to understand all aspects of both types of trips to make a fair comparison. You can see our thorough analysis of tour prices in South Africa here.
Here are a few sample tours in South Africa:
If you're planning a trip to South Africa, check out these other informative travel guides.
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.
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