Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Pretoria?
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 Pretoria or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Cape Town? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Pretoria or Cape Town?
Pretoria
Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.
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 South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in South Africa, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in South Africa.
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Pretoria Prices
South Africa PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $64Cape Town $179
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $64, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $179. 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 Pretoria and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $27Cape Town $83
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $54Cape Town $166
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria 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: Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $13Cape Town $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sun City Private Transfer: $246
- Sun City & Pilanesberg Transfers: $250
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $65
- Private Transfer from JHB Airport to Hotels and Around Sandton: $39
- Pretoria to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) - Departure Private Transfer: $43
- Airport transfers,door to door shuttle: $53
- Airport transfers, door to door .private transfers: $41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Cape Town International Airport to Cape Town Areas: $24
- Transfer from Cape Town City Center to Cape Town Airport: $18
- Table Mountain Tour with Round Trip Transfers: $99
- Table Mountain Cable Car Tour with Tickets & Hotel Transfers: $83
- Swift Ride Airport Transfers : $74
- Stellenbosch Winelands Connoisseur Day Tour with Private Transfer: $274
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $24
- Shared Return Transfer to Aquila Safari from Cape Town Day trip: $149
- Robben Island Experience: Pre-Booked Ticket & Return Transfers: $72
- Private Transfer: Cape Town to CPT Airport in Business Car: $71
- Private Transfer to Safari Big 5 at Aquila from Cape Town Excluding Entry Fees : $190
- Private Transfer from Cape Town Port to Cape Town Airport (CPT): $19
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Pretoria 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 dayPretoria $27Cape Town $77
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $113
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 with a Chef Founder: $30
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $73
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $77
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Sunset At Signal Hill Constantia Wine Tasting and Dinner: $83
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $98
- Cape Town Shore Excursion| South African Cooking & Port Transfers: $106
- Private Street Food Tour of Cape Town with Local Guide: $108
- The Cape Town Essentials Food Tour: $117
- Cooking and Lunch Experience at SPYCED Restaurant: $136
- Private Tour : The Great Gatsby Food Tour Cape Town: $208
- Full Day Cape Peninsula, Robben Island and Gold 7 Course Dinner: $224
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $15Cape Town $25
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Constitutional Hill and Soweto Half Day Tour.: $77
- Cullinan diamond Mine Day Tour (surface tour): $92
- Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Guided Tour( Safari Experience) : $194
- 2 Days Historical Cultural and Sightseeing Tour in Johannesburg : $259
- 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $97
- 2-Day Johannesburg, Soweto and Pretoria Guided Tour: $185
- 3 tours/ cradle human kind caves and Lesedi Cultural village : $155
- 3-Day Private Tour Johannesburg - See everything : $230
- 5 Hour Lesedi Cultural Village Tour: $111
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $89
- Aha Lesedi Cultural Village tour: $169
- Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: $212
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $149
- Best of the Cape Tour - Cape Peninsular and Winelands: $288
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $187
- Cape Agulhas, Hermanus Stony Point Penguins Colony Tour : $232
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $208
- Cape Town, Destination for Wine and galery Lovers Private Tour: $285
- Cape Winelands Tour to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl: $104
- Cape of Good Hope T Mountain Bo-Kaap Penguins Private +Tickets : $264
- Cape town Private Adventure Tour with table mountain cable car: $232
- Day Tour in Robben Island, Bo-Kaap and Table Mountain : $178
- Full Day Wine and Whales Tour in Hermanus and Hemel en Aarde: $175
- Guided Private Historical City Tour in Cape Town : $208
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $33Cape Town $22
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: $12
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
- Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $15
- Urban Wine Tasting: $30
- Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $46
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $47
- Uncork the Cape : Stellenboch Half Day Wine Tour : $54
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $56
- Full Day shared Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Tram Wine Tasting : $72
- Cape Of Good Hope Seals, Penguins , wine Tasting Small Group : $80
- Cape Town City Tour with World of Birds and Wine Tasting : $81
- Table Mountain and Wine tasting in FranschHoek StellenBosch Paarl: $85
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Pretoria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pretoria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pretoria 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 Pretoria.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pretoria Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria 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.
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.