Which place is cheaper, Bucharest or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Addis Ababa or Bucharest?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Bucharest, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Bucharest?
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital and largest city in the country of Romania. With about 2 million residents living in the city and about 2.4 million in the surrounding urban area, it is also one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe. As such, it is the economic, industrial and commercial center for the country. As a visitor, you will likely enter Romania by arriving in Bucharest. The city continues to grow and change, and there are ongoing infrastructure projects that continue to modernize the city. It is not uncommon to find historic churches on the same block as modern office buildings and Communist style apartment buildings. There are also many sights around town and the city continues to grow as a trendy and fascinating city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Bucharest, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Romania.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $33Bucharest $143
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $33, while the average daily cost in Bucharest is $143. 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 Addis Ababa and Bucharest in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $22Bucharest $65
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $44Bucharest $130
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Bucharest
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Bucharest? 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: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Bucharest Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $3.88Bucharest $27
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$0.26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- Addis Ababa Private Airport-Hotel Transfer: $82
- Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $20
- City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $26
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $22
- City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $26
- Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
- Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $113
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bucharest
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bucharest:
- Bucharest to Sofia - Private Transfer: $603
- Bucharest Airport: Private Transfer To / From Pitesti: $466
- Bucharest to Sofia Private Transfer: $464
- Bucharest to Mihail Kogalniceanu - Private Transfer: $357
- Mihail Kogalniceanu to Bucharest - Private Transfer: $357
- Bucharest to Veliko Tarnovo - Private Transfer: $335
- Bucharest to Fetesti - Private Transfer: $335
- Bucharest to Craiova - Private Transfer: $313
- Transfer Bucharest Airport to Brasov: $298
- Bucharest to Mihail Kogalniceanu Airport Constanta - Private Guided Transfer : $294
- Bucharest to Tulcea - Private Guided Transfer - Driver and Car : $294
- Bucharest to Brasov - Private Transfer from Henri Coanda International Airport: $282
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Bucharest?
Prices for flights to both Bucharest and Addis Ababa 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 dayAddis Ababa $8.67Bucharest $60
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
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Slice of Cake$0.06
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa
For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Dinner Cultural shows and best Nightlife : $21
- Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
- Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $70
- Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $70
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour: $75
- Culinary Class and Food Tour in Addis Ababa : $82
- Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $88
- Ethiopian cooking class: $95
- Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95
- Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $114
- Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa: $116
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bucharest
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bucharest.
- Dinner and tour inside the Museum of Communism: $52
- Bohemian Bucharest Markets and Mahallas Traditional Food Tour: $62
- Bucharest Historical Food Tour in Old Center: $73
- Bucharest Evening Tour and Traditional Dinner: $79
- Street Food Tour with a Local Guide: $88
- Bucharest Evening Tour and Traditional Dinner - 3 hours: $89
- Unhealthy Food Tour of Bucharest – 4 hours: $89
- Discover Private Highlights and Traditional Food Tour: $112
- Private Bucharest Food Tour with a Local Foodie: $133
- Historical and Cultural Tour with Romanian Cuisine dinner: $146
- 4-Hour Walking Food Tour in the Old Town: $210
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $4.00Bucharest $15
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- Pup crawl and nightlife tour in Addis Ababa.: $50
- Addis Ababa Group City Day Tour: $52
- Addis Ababa Tour: $53
- Addis Ababa city tour.: $53
- Addis Ababa City - Half Day Tour: $55
- Addis Ababa highlight city tour: $56
- Historical and sightseeing tour in Addis Ababa: $56
- Addis Ababa city Tour: $60
- Half Day City Tour of Addis Ababa : $60
- Addis Ababa City Tour: $60
- Addis Ababa Private Tour: $61
- Guided City Tour: $62
Tours and Activities in Bucharest
Here are a few actual costs in Bucharest for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Bears Sanctuary, Dracula's Castle, Brasov Day Trip Private Tour from Bucharest: $258
- Bucharest Panoramic Sightseeing - Private City Tour: $107
- Walking Tour - Delightful Bucharest (Old Town & Victory Avenue): $18
- 1 Day ATV Tour in Carpathian Mountains: $215
- 10 h Ceausescu Communism Private Tour in Bucharest plus Dracula's Grave : $248
- 10 hours Private Apiary Tour in Romania - From Bucharest: $282
- 10h Bucharest City Tour & Snagov Monastery (Dracula's Grave): $268
- 14 Days Private Tour in Romania, Moldova & Transnistria: $4,911
- 2 Days Private Tour - The Romanian Caves from Bucharest: $580
- 2-Day Medieval Transylvania with Brasov,Sibiu and Sighisoara Tour from Bucharest: $237
- 2-Day Small-Group Tour to Dracula's Castle, Rasnov Fortress, Peles Castle, Sighisoara and Libearty Brown Bear Sanctuary with Overnight in Brasov: $210
- 2-Day Transylvania Short Tour from Bucharest: $445
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $3.30Bucharest $9.56
Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:
- Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
- Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $65
- Pub crawl Addis Ababa: $69
Sample the Local Flavors in Bucharest
Also in Bucharest, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Weekend Pub Crawl: $24
- Bucharest Pub Crawl in the Old Town: $25
- Romanian Wine Tasting Experience at Corks: $29
- Bachelors Party in Custom Bar Crawl: $39
- Pub Crawl in the Old CIty and Rooftop Hopping in Bucharest: $49
- Wine Tasting in Bucharest: $53
- Bucharest Guided Pub Crawl: $54
- Private Wine Tasting Experience: $56
- Guided Pub Crawl in Bucharest: $58
- Bucharest Old Town Pub and Bar Crawl with Guide: $59
- Private Bar Crawling in Bucharest Old City: $62
- Wine Tasting in Bucharest long version: $65
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Bucharest, we can see that Bucharest is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Bucharest is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa 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 Bucharest would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bucharest than you might in Addis Ababa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Bucharest Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Bucharest?
Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 47% larger than the population of Bucharest. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Bucharest, 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.