Budget · Cape Town · South Africa
Cape Town on a budget
What a trip to Cape Town really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Cape Town is affordable for most international visitors. Budget roughly $40–$75 per person per day on a tight budget, $100–$200 mid-range and $350–$900 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in June–July.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $40–$75 a day
- Mid-range
- $100–$200 a day
- Luxury
- $350–$900 a day
- Local currency
- ZAR
- Free sights
- 8
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $40–$75 | $120–$225 | $200–$375 | $280–$525 |
| Mid-range | $100–$200 | $300–$600 | $500–$1,000 | $700–$1,400 |
| Luxury | $350–$900 | $1,050–$2,700 | $1,750–$4,500 | $2,450–$6,300 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Cape Town, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Flat white in a café | about R35–R45 |
| Main course in a mid-range restaurant | about R150–R260 |
| Glass of local wine | about R50–R90 |
| Craft beer in a bar | about R40–R70 |
| Ride-hail from City Bowl to Camps Bay | about R80–R150 |
| Table Mountain cableway return | about R400–R600 |
Money-saving tips
- Restaurants and wine are very good value for visitors earning in euros, pounds or dollars; a fine-dining tasting menu costs a fraction of its European equivalent.
- Many of the best experiences are free: Lion's Head, the Sea Point Promenade, Signal Hill and the beaches.
- Visit between May and September for the lowest accommodation prices outside the July school holidays.
- Self-catering apartments in Sea Point or Gardens cut costs; supermarkets sell good wine at low prices.
- Share a hire car for peninsula and winelands days rather than booking several separate tours.
Free things to do
- V&A Waterfront — Cape Town's working harbour is also its busiest leisure district, with restaurants, the Victoria Wharf mall, the Watershed design and craft market, harbour cruises and street performers.
- Bo-Kaap — The brightly painted houses on the slopes of Signal Hill are home to the city's historic Cape Malay community, descended largely from people brought to the Cape from Southeast Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Lion's Head hike — The 669-metre peak between Table Mountain and Signal Hill is the city's favourite short hike: a spiral path of about 2.5 km each way with chains and ladders near the top (there is a route that avoids them).
- Company's Garden — Planted in the 1650s to supply ships of the Dutch East India Company, this shady garden at the top of Adderley Street is now a public park with old trees, a rose garden and tame squirrels.
- Signal Hill — The rounded hill above Sea Point and the Waterfront can be driven almost to the top, where lookouts face the Atlantic, the stadium and the city.
- Sea Point Promenade — A paved seafront path of several kilometres runs from Mouille Point lighthouse past Sea Point to Bantry Bay, with lawns, outdoor gyms, playgrounds and public art.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, nightlife and solo travellers
City Bowl and Gardens
Central streets below Table Mountain, from Bree Street restaurants to Kloof Street cafés
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers, families and quiet stays
Sea Point
Apartment blocks along a seafront promenade with a public pool and ocean sunsets
$$ · Best for food lovers, shopping and culture
Woodstock
Former industrial district with street murals, design studios and the Old Biscuit Mill
Eating well for less
- Gatsby — Takeaway shops in Athlone, Salt River and the CBD; one roll easily feeds two or three people.
- Biltong — Butcheries and biltong shops across the city and in supermarkets.
Getting around for less
myconnect card
The contactless card used to pay MyCiTi bus fares; load it with credit at station kiosks and tap on and off.
Hop-on hop-off bus tickets
One- and two-day tickets on the red sightseeing buses link the Waterfront, the cableway, Camps Bay, Kirstenbosch and Constantia wine estates.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Cape Town cost?
About $500–$1,000 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $200–$375 on a tight budget.
+Is Cape Town expensive?
It is affordable for international visitors. Restaurants and wine are very good value for visitors earning in euros, pounds or dollars; a fine-dining tasting menu costs a fraction of its European equivalent.
+How much money do I need per day in Cape Town?
Roughly $40–$75 on a budget and $100–$200 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Cape Town?
Usually in June–July.