๐Ÿ’ฐ Trip to South Africa Cost: My Budget Breakdown (2024)

A person standing on a beach next to a penguin resting on a boulder.
๐Ÿ’ฐ Trip CostAverage
๐Ÿ’ต Typical Budget$60-$180/day
๐Ÿ€ My Budget$200/day
โœˆ๏ธ Trip Total$2,803
๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Trip Length2 weeks
*Excluding flights

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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, hereโ€™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 donโ€™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.

A group of people standing in front of an open vehicle with a safari guide holding a rifle for precaution.
Safari in Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

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

Hereโ€™s a breakdown of my expenses by travel category:

CategoryCost% of TotalDaily Budget
โœˆ๏ธ Flights$1,19430%โ€“
๐Ÿ  Accommodation$48812%$35
๐Ÿฅ˜ Food$3228%$23
๐Ÿš™ Transportation$55314%$40
๐Ÿฆ Entertainment$1,43936%$103
Total$3,997100%$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.

Interior of an airport featuring wooden elephant statues.
Cape Town International Airport

Accommodation Cost

The accommodations I stayed at:

TotalCost/Night
Cape Town hotel$396$66
Durban hotel$92$46
A street with four-story buildings and some shops.
Cape Town street near accommodation

Accommodation prices in South Africa vary by type and location, but theyโ€™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:

MealLocationCost
Fast food burger with friesSteers (Drakensberg)$6
Avocado toast with a smoothieThe Talkhouse Cafe (Durban)$8
Fresh fish and chipsSnoekies Hout Bay (Cape Town)$9
A plate with fried fish, fries, and squid.
Snoekies fish and chips

My most expensive meals:

MealLocationCost
Pasta with wine and appetizersAriel Modern Italian (Cape Town)$27
Ostrich and venison meatKaribu (Cape Town)$20
Sushi and hand rollsChef Chen Sushi Bar (Cape Town)$19
Three plates containing pasta with red sauce, pasta with mushroom, and cheese with tomato.
Ariel Italian in Cape Town (photo by my friend, Tracey Zhai)

My food budgeting tips:

  • You can have $10 meals โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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:

TransportationTotal Cost
Domestic flight (Cape Town โ†’ Kruger Park)$200
Domestic flight (Kruger Park โ†’ Durban)$209
Domestic flight (Durban โ†’ Cape Town)$63
Uber rides$81
A woman holding a luggage walking towards a regular-sized plane outside.
Hoedspruit Airport near Kruger National Park

My transportation budgeting tips:

  • Uber is the best way to travel for short distances โ€“ A 30-minute Uber ride in Cape Town typically costs $11 to $13.
  • Cape Town’s bus is cheap and safe โ€“ 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:

ExperienceLocationCost
๐Ÿฆ 3-Day Guided SafariKlaserie Private Nature Reserve$658
๐Ÿฆ Safari Staff & Guide TipsKlaserie Private Nature Reserve$36
โ›ฐ๏ธ 2-Day Guided Hiking TourDrakensberg$516
โ›ฐ๏ธ Guide & Driver TipsDrakensberg$50
๐Ÿ’† 60-min MassageKlaserie Private Nature Reserve$54
๐ŸŒŠ Cape Peninsula TourCape Town$49
โ›ฐ๏ธ Table Mountain National ParkCape Town$21
๐Ÿง Boulders BeachCape Town$10
๐Ÿท Franschhoek Wine TramCape Winelands$16
๐Ÿท Franschhoek Wine TastingCape Winelands$13
๐Ÿš  Table Mountain Cable CarCape Town$13
๐Ÿ›๏ธ Greenmarket SquareCape Town$3
โ›ฐ๏ธ Devil’s Peak & Lion’s HeadCape TownFree
๐Ÿ–๏ธ Camps BayCape TownFree
๐Ÿ–๏ธ Clifton BeachesCape TownFree
๐Ÿ  Bo-Kaap Cape TownFree
๐Ÿ›๏ธ V&A WaterfrontCape TownFree
๐Ÿ–๏ธ Golden MileDurbanFree
A woman sitting at the edge of a mountain cliff overlooking a lush valley with clouds in the horizon.
Drakensberg epic hike
Two women laughing with wine and nougats pairing in front of them.
Franschhoek wine and nougat pairing

My entertainment budgeting tips:

  • Save money by going on a road trip โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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).
A woman hunching over a stone ledge overlooking a blue ocean.
Cape Point viewpoint
  • It’s worth visiting a Nelson Mandela attraction โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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.
A sandby beach next to mountains with a blue sky background.
Camps Bay in Cape Town.

Cost Breakdown by Destination

Below are my trip expense breakdowns forย 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.

Two women standing on a rock near the edge of a mountain cliff overlooking a city.
Lion’s Head summit

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.

A soft, sandy beach with tall buildings in the horizon.
Durban’s warm, soft sand beach.

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.