Should you visit Addis Ababa or Florence?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Florence, 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 Florence?
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.
Florence
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and one of the most well known cities in Italy for its art and cultural scenes. The city is rooted in history and you can see this in the architecture, statues, gardens, and art that are everywhere around town. This city truly is a living museum. You should allow yourself at least a couple of days to explore Florence and if you can afford more, it is well worth the time. In particular, if art history is your passion then you will need a week or more to satisfy your interest as the museums and architecturally impressive buildings throughout the city are endless.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
Which place is cheaper, Florence or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $32, while the average daily cost in Florence is $211. 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 Florence in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Florence? 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
Florence Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
4 Hours Addis Airport Transfer with Ethiopian Cultural Tour:
$299
-
Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa:
$154
-
Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer:
$130
-
Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer:
$49
-
City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles:
$40
-
Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet):
$23
-
Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer:
$23
-
Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport :
$23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Florence
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Florence:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florence
Also for Florence, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Transfer from Livorno Port to Accommodation:
$421
-
Private Transfer from Firenze (FLR) Airport to Greve in Chianti:
$290
-
Florence Airport (FLR) to Chianciano - Arrival Private Transfer:
$287
-
Private transfer:
$282
-
PRIVATE TRANSFER from Florence to Roma with private chauffeur:
$277
-
PRIVATE TRANSFER from Florence to Cinque Terre with stops in Lucca & Pisa:
$277
-
Private Transfer Florence Peretola Airport from/to Livorno Port:
$273
-
Private transfer Florence Peretola Airport from or to Pisa City:
$273
-
Bologna Airport Private Transfer from your Hotel in Florence:
$241
-
Private Transfer Florence to Siena with a Chianti Wine Tasting :
$240
-
Florence to Bologna Airport (BLQ) - Departure Private Transfer:
$232
-
Taste of Tuscany San Gimignano Winery with Transfer from Florence:
$228
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Florence?
Prices for flights to both Florence 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
-
Food
Meals for one day
Addis Ababa $12
Florence $73
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
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:
-
Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner:
$54
-
Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.:
$56
-
Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa:
$62
-
Flavors of Ethiopia Explore Traditional Cooking Class :
$67
-
Addis Ababa Ethiopian cooking class Airport & hotel pick up:
$68
-
Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance:
$70
-
Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off:
$75
-
Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch:
$76
-
Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner:
$77
-
Addis abeba Full Cooking class.:
$90
-
Cooking class in Addis Ababa:
$95
-
Nightlife Tour with Dinner and Live Music:
$99
Typical Food Prices in Florence
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Florence:
-
Panini Sandwich
$7.63
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)
$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florence
For Florence, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Florence Old City Street Food Tour and Guided Sightseeing:
$35
-
Hard Rock Cafe Florence with Set Lunch or Dinner:
$35
-
Food Tour of Traditional Eateries and Wine Pairings:
$36
-
Street Food Tour and Sightseeing with Local Expert Guide in 2.5 hours :
$46
-
Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour from Florence:
$48
-
Florence Street Food Tour and sightseeing with Central Market:
$51
-
Florence's Food Tour with Authentic Local Tastigs and Sightseeing:
$51
-
Florence Street Food Tour with Walking Sightseeing and Local Guide:
$51
-
Pasta Cooking Class with Unlimited Wine:
$53
-
Hands-On Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class:
$53
-
Cooking Class in Florence Pasta & Tiramisu Making Unlimited Wine:
$54
-
Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class with Unlimited Wine:
$57
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
-
"Awash National Park Safari Experience":
$280
-
1-Day Tour Old Bridge, Monastery,WaterFalls Wildlife,Birds, :
$128
-
2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours:
$315
-
2 Days Gheralta Tour Hidden Churches in Northern Ethiopia:
$300
-
2-Night 3-Day Danakil Depression Tour without Flights:
$300
-
3 Days Meskel Festival Package-Addis Ababa City Tour/Debre Libanos Monastery:
$256
-
3 Days Rock Hewn Churches Cultural Tour in Lalibela:
$300
-
3-Day Wild Wonders and Nature, Awash National Park Tour:
$490
-
4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour:
$65
-
4 Hours Addis Ababa Cultural Discovery Tour:
$42
-
5 hours Addis Ababa Layover city tour:
$36
-
8 Hours Tour to Taste the Authentic Flavours of Ethiopia:
$200
Typical Entertainment Prices in Florence
For Florence, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Admission to Uffizi
$13
-
Phone Booking Fee for Uffizi
$4.69
-
Firenze Card (for Two)
$117
-
Audioguides at Uffizi (for Two)
$23
-
Giotto's Tower Entrance Fee
$7.04
-
Boboli Gardens Entrance Fee
$8.21
Tours and Activities in Florence
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florence.
-
Accademia Gallery Skip the line Tickets :
$41
-
Best of Florence walking tour & Accademia Gallery- monolingual small group tour:
$76
-
Medici Walking Tour -Small Group :
$35
-
Uffizi & Accademia Highlights: Skip The Line Combo Guided Tour:
$108
-
1-Hour Mythological Tour in Piazza della Signoria: Experience for Children:
$54
-
2-Hours Walking Tour in Florence:
$180
-
3 Hours Private Tour with Personal Photographer in Florence:
$167
-
3-Hour Private Photographic Tour in Chianti and Val d'Orcia Florence:
$60
-
4 Wines & 2 Olive Oils Tasting in Chianti Winery with Tour :
$42
-
4-hour Accademia and Uffizi Small-group Guided Tour:
$167
-
A Food Lover Tour in Florence:
$101
-
Academia Gallery Skip-the-Line Priority Entrance Tickets:
$43
Alcohol
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
Typical Alcohol Prices in Florence
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Florence from other travelers:
-
Glass of Chianti
$4.93
-
Bottle of Wine
$8.80
Sample the Local Flavors in Florence
Also in Florence, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Wine Tasting by CarusVini in San Casciano in val di Pesa:
$18
-
Winery tour and wine tasting of organic Chianti wines and extra virgin oil:
$24
-
Wine Tasting Activity at Chianti Rufina:
$25
-
Great wine tasting at Tenuta Moriano:
$27
-
Wine Tasting Experience near Florence:
$30
-
Classic Wine Tasting in Montalcino:
$36
-
Private Wine Tasting Experience in the heart of Tuscany:
$36
-
Wine Tasting in an Authentic Tuscan Cellar in Radda in Chianti:
$38
-
Montefioralle Winery - Tour and Wine Tasting in Chianti:
$42
-
Chianti Half Day Wine Tour from Florence:
$42
-
Wine Tasting of Brunello with Tuscan Cold Cuts and Cheese:
$47
-
Winery tour & wine tasting in Montalcino:
$48
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Florence, we can see that Florence 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 Florence 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 Florence would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Florence 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 Florence Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Florence?
Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Florence. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Florence, 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.
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