It is not as bad as the media has made it out to be... plus it can be rather inexpensive!
I live in Cape Town, and it is considered to be one of the most expensive cities in South Africa - for certain lifestyle choices, it is!
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| Note the drinking age is 18...Take that US of A. |
Food and Drink
How much does a meal out cost you at home?
Well I lived in Italy and France for a bit last year and well let's just say that you get far more bang for your buck in this country... quite literally if you go to some of the out of the box thinking places!
So on average, if I were to eat a pizza or a pasta and have 2 beers with my meal I was looking at around 25 Euros... correct me if I am wrong!?
Well given the rate of exchange today, that equates to 355.91 Rand. So with 350 bucks, I am looking at a 10 minutes Uber (each way), a pizza and about 6 beers... Sounds alright to me.
So if you eat locally and take out the Uber trip, you are looking at buying yourself and your significant other a round of drinks, aperitifs, 2 pizzas and maybe a few drinks for the friendly people at the table next to you... Also our food is like the stuff out of a magazine.
Ever noticed how half the stuff from your grocery stores are from all over the world... well check out the vegetables and fruits and you are bound to find a sticker saying From the Republic of South Africa on some of your homegrowns!
Imagine if it didn't have to travel across the world to get on your plate.
Come dine with us... we like our food and we like it accompanied with more than just 1 or 2 beers!
Here's another important comparison I very nearly left out.
McDonald's Big Mac Meal... roughly R45 for a medium size. That's like 3 USD!!!!
Need I say more, my larger than life American friends?
Accomodation
This can get expensive due to high demands. Although, in saying that, we talking roughly 8 Euros a night or roughly 10 USD per night, in the Mother City!
Out at the backpackers near Addo Elephant Park, just out of Port Elizabeth, you pay around R80 which is like 5 Euros... you can hear lions roaring from that place! Well, if they ever turn the music down. What a fun place! Sit around a fire drinking and shmokin'... aaaah the good life.
People are going to think I am some kind of stoner, but I am not... I just like to reminisce on the days when I had the freedom to take a toke if I felt like it... that stuff is far far far cheaper here. As I said... Homegrown vegetables ;)
Basically, budgeting 10 Dollars a night is enough for accomodation... Thats cheap!
Experiences
We have covered the normal stuff that you need to know.
Shark-cage diving, skydiving, white water rafting, bungee jumping, abseiling, wildlife safaris, wine tasting... these are all targeting our dear European friends. Germans lap up the African experiences!!
Wine tasting is the only one you can do for less than a hundred rand, unless you do a self drive safari which is JUST NOT THE SAME!!
Seriously guys... please post any queries and I will dig deeper for you.
Sweet,
J
