| 💰 Trip Cost | Average |
|---|---|
| 💵 Typical Budget | $60-$180/day |
| 🍀 My Budget | $200/day |
| ✈️ Trip Total | $2,803 |
| 🗓️ Trip Length | 2 weeks |
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Is South Africa Affordable To Travel To?
Although South Africa is a moderately priced destination worldwide, it is one of the most expensive countries to visit in Africa.
- It is known for high-end safaris, dining, and accommodation.
- Transportation adds up since the country is large (the 25th biggest in the world).
See all my daily budgets.
About My Trip
To give context to the expenses below, here’s what you need to know about my trip:
- I spent two weeks in South Africa, visiting Cape Town, Klaserie Reserve, Drakensberg, and Durban.
- My trip was in February, during the high season, when things were more expensive.
- I traveled with two other people, which allowed us to split costs like housing.
- I’m a mid-range budget traveler. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m intentional about my spending.
- I finance my trips and don’t receive sponsorship.
- All expenses are per person and in US dollars, converted from the South African rand.
The exchange rate was $1 USD = R19 at the time of writing.
Total Cost
- $3,997
- $2,803
- $200
A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend about $180 per day in South Africa. This budget generally means:
- Staying at accommodations that cost about $60 per night
- Relying on a mix of Ubers and planes for transportation
- Paying for several popular tours (e.g., safaris)
Budget Breakdown
Here’s a breakdown of my expenses by travel category:
| Category | Cost | % of Total | Daily Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Flights | $1,194 | 30% | – |
| 🏠 Accommodation | $488 | 12% | $35 |
| 🥘 Food | $322 | 8% | $23 |
| 🚙 Transportation | $553 | 14% | $40 |
| 🦁 Entertainment | $1,439 | 36% | $103 |
| Total | $3,997 | 100% | $200 |
Flight Cost
- $1,194 (from the west coast of the US to Cape Town’s international airport)
A round-trip flight between the US and South Africa costing under $900 is considered cheap. Flying into Johannesburg is generally more affordable than flying into Cape Town.
Accommodation Cost
- $488 (excludes overnight stays at the guided safari and hiking tour)
- $35
The accommodations I stayed at:
| Total | Cost/Night | |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town hotel | $396 | $66 |
| Durban hotel | $92 | $46 |
Accommodation prices in South Africa vary by type and location, but they’re often a good value. In major cities like Cape Town, luxury hotels start at around $300 per night, and budget hotels will average $40 per night.
Food Cost
- $322
- $23
My most affordable meals:
| Meal | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fast food burger with fries | Steers (Drakensberg) | $6 |
| Avocado toast with a smoothie | The Talkhouse Cafe (Durban) | $8 |
| Fresh fish and chips | Snoekies Hout Bay (Cape Town) | $9 |
My most expensive meals:
| Meal | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta with wine and appetizers | Ariel Modern Italian (Cape Town) | $27 |
| Ostrich and venison meat | Karibu (Cape Town) | $20 |
| Sushi and hand rolls | Chef Chen Sushi Bar (Cape Town) | $19 |
My food budgeting tips:
- You can have $10 meals – If you’re on a budget, buy groceries at Checkers, eat at fast food places (they’re better than the ones in the United States), and dine at local restaurants.
- Drinks can be very affordable – A cup of coffee is less than $2, and a good glass of wine can be as cheap as $3.
- Fine dining is available at very reasonable prices – Cape Town is a great place to splurge on food. Many of the $15 to $20 meals I had in the city’s high-end restaurants would cost $30 to $50 in the United States.
- Tap water in major cities is safe to drink – This includes cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban. Bring a reusable water bottle like I did, so you don’t have to buy bottled water.
Transportation Cost
- $553
- $40
The transportation I used:
| Transportation | Total Cost |
|---|---|
| Domestic flight (Cape Town → Kruger Park) | $200 |
| Domestic flight (Kruger Park → Durban) | $209 |
| Domestic flight (Durban → Cape Town) | $63 |
| Uber rides | $81 |
My transportation budgeting tips:
- Uber is the best way to travel for short distances – A 30-minute Uber ride in Cape Town typically costs $11 to $13.
- Cape Town’s bus is cheap and safe – A 20-minute ride on MyCiTi bus costs less than $1. Other public transportation is generally not tourist-friendly or safe.
Entertainment Cost
- $1,439
- $103
The activities/attractions I did:
| Experience | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 🦁 3-Day Guided Safari | Klaserie Private Nature Reserve | $658 |
| 🦁 Safari Staff & Guide Tips | Klaserie Private Nature Reserve | $36 |
| ⛰️ 2-Day Guided Hiking Tour | Drakensberg | $516 |
| ⛰️ Guide & Driver Tips | Drakensberg | $50 |
| 💆 60-min Massage | Klaserie Private Nature Reserve | $54 |
| 🌊 Cape Peninsula Tour | Cape Town | $49 |
| ⛰️ Table Mountain National Park | Cape Town | $21 |
| 🐧 Boulders Beach | Cape Town | $10 |
| 🍷 Franschhoek Wine Tram | Cape Winelands | $16 |
| 🍷 Franschhoek Wine Tasting | Cape Winelands | $13 |
| 🚠 Table Mountain Cable Car | Cape Town | $13 |
| 🛍️ Greenmarket Square | Cape Town | $3 |
| ⛰️ Devil’s Peak & Lion’s Head | Cape Town | Free |
| 🏖️ Camps Bay | Cape Town | Free |
| 🏖️ Clifton Beaches | Cape Town | Free |
| 🏠 Bo-Kaap | Cape Town | Free |
| 🛍️ V&A Waterfront | Cape Town | Free |
| 🏖️ Golden Mile | Durban | Free |
My entertainment budgeting tips:
- Save money by going on a road trip – Renting a rental car is generally cheaper than hiring a driver or tour guide. The Garden Route, Cape Peninsula, and Drakensberg can all be self-driven. I’m not comfortable driving on the left side, so I chose not to drive.
Many safari destinations also offer self-driving, which is cheaper than hiring game drive guides. However, you’ll need to know the routes and find wildlife on your own.
- South African safaris have a wide price range – A budget safari where you stay in tents can cost as little as $60 per day, while a luxury safari can cost as much as $500 per day.
Some tour operators focus exclusively on game drives and invest little in the game lodge, food, and other services. These types of safaris usually cost between a budget and a mid-range experience.
- Ask for the full cost – When booking tours, ask about any toll roads or entrance fees for national parks, attractions, and private beaches that are not included. Not all tour operators proactively provide these (e.g., I didn’t know that Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope were inside a national park with a $21 entrance fee until the guide brought me to the entrance).
- It’s worth visiting a Nelson Mandela attraction – Nelson Mandela is South Africa’s hero, and you will have opportunities to learn about his legacy. Robben Island (where Mandela was held prisoner) costs $21, and the Nelson Mandela Capture Site has a $5 entrance fee. I didn’t do the former because I couldn’t handle the 45-minute ferry ride and didn’t pass through the area where the capture site is located, but I’ve heard it’s great.
- Hike the beautiful trails for free – Cape Town offers stunning trails with no entrance fee. I enjoyed my hikes at Lion’s Head, Devil’s Peak, Kloof Corner, and India Venster on Table Mountain.
- Chill at the beaches for free – Cape Town boasts several public beaches. I visited all four Clifton Beaches and the picturesque Camps Bay. Durban also has a big beach that’s not as pretty, but the water is much warmer.
Cost Breakdown by Destination
Below are my trip expense breakdowns for the places I visited during my trip.
Cape Town
- 7 days
- $1,019
- $146
Cape Town is Africa’s most famous city and one of the most expensive. If you primarily hike Table Mountain, eat at local restaurants, and stay at a hostel, your daily budget can be closer to $60.
Durban & Drakensberg
- 4 days
- $924
- $231
Many visitors go to Durban to access the stunning mountains of Drakensberg. You can visit Drakensberg on a budget by driving a rental car and hiking on your own instead of hiring a hiking guide and driver like I did.
Do You Need Cash?
- South Africa has an excellent credit card infrastructure in major cities, so you’ll only need to carry a bit of cash.
My tips on using cash:
- USD is not widely accepted, so withdraw cash in South African rand (ZAR). ATMs are readily available at airports and in major cities, but you might have trouble finding them elsewhere (e.g., it wasn’t obvious where I could find ATMs around the Cape Peninsula).
- Carry $50 to $100 worth of cash. The only times I needed cash were to tip and buy souvenirs at a local market. I spent about $98 ($8 per day) in cash during my trip.
- In South Africa, a 10% tip is customary and standard. I tipped drivers (including Uber drivers), masseuses, servers, and tour guides. When using your credit card to tip, make sure to round the tip to a whole number (e.g., tip R95 instead of R95.40 on the bill). Decimals are worth less than a penny and can be considered rude.
Every business, restaurant, and bar I interacted with in South Africa used a portable credit card scanner, so you shouldn’t encounter a situation where you hand your credit card to someone and they take it away where you can no longer see it.