Which place is cheaper, Koh Tao 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.
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Should you visit Addis Ababa or Koh Tao?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Koh Tao, 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 Koh Tao?
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.
Koh Tao
With a name that literally means, "Turtle Island," Koh Tao, Thailand is the type of vacation spot divers dream of. There is the faintest current and a buffet of dive sites and shops.
This tiny island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but take not that there are no garbage disposal facilities. Everything that can't be burnt needs to be taken from the island. Avoid plastic bags, and don't dump your trash in the open landscape (then again, why would you?) because there are no departments for road clean up. Water and electricity on the island are scarce, so use them wisely.
Keep in mind that monsoon season from November to January so you may be faced with constant rain for days at a time in those months.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Thailand, and The Best Contiki Tours to Thailand.
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Addis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia PricesKoh Tao Prices
Thailand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $28Koh Tao $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $28, while the average daily cost in Koh Tao is $48. 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 Koh Tao in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $15Koh Tao $16
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $30Koh Tao $32
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Koh Tao
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Koh Tao? 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 Koh Tao Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $2.73Koh Tao $9.49
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$0.18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Golf Club Experience with Hotel Transfer: $100
- Addis Ababa Layover Tour: Mercato Market & Airport Transfer: $77
- Luxury Private Mercedes Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $75
- Private Tour with Local Guide and Transfers: $65
- Photography Tour with Guide & Transfer: $62
- Private Addis Ababa Airport Transfer: $55
- Customizable Layover Tour with Transfers: $55
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- Cultural Show and Jazz Night with Transfers: $44
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $39
- City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $35
- Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $29
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Koh Tao
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Tao:
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Motorbike Rental$5.67
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Chumpon to Koh Tao Ferry$19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Koh Tao
Also for Koh Tao, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Convenient Catamaran and Bus Transfer from Koh Tao to Krabi: $61
- Koh Tao to Krabi High Speed Catamaran with Bus Transfer: $55
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Koh Tao?
Prices for flights to both Koh Tao 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 $11Koh Tao $17
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$0.04
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:
- Authentic Ethiopian Cooking Class with a Local Host: $47
- Addis Eats Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
- Berbere Bites Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $49
- Addis Ababa Food Tour: Ethiopian Cuisine, Coffee & Drinks: $50
- Berbere Bites Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $50
- Addis Eats Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $50
- Flavors of Ethiopia: Hands-On Cooking Class in Addis Ababa: $55
- Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
- Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $60
- Addis Ababa Ethiopian Food Cooking Class and Kitchen Tour: $60
- Addis Ababa Cooking, Coffee & Traditional Drink Tasting: $65
- Addis Ababa Food Tour: Eat Like a Local: $70
Typical Food Prices in Koh Tao
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Tao:
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Sit Down Lunch (for One)$5.97
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Breakfast$4.48
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Casual Breakfast (for Two)$3.58
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Fancy Dinner (for Two)$15
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Pancake$2.09
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American Breakfast (for Two)$8.36
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Dinner at Bam Bam (for Two)$8.06
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Koh Tao Small-Group Half-Day Cooking Class with Sea View: $61
- Memorable Thai Cooking Class with Stunning View from Koh Tao: $65
- Private Thai Cooking Class at Rooftop Kitchen on Koh Tao: $249
- Koh Tao Private Rooftop Thai Cooking Class with Scenic View: $267
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $2.82Koh Tao $29
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- • Ethiopia Danakil Experience: Fire, Salt & Color Adventure: $450
- • Explore the Wild: 5-Day Chebera Churchura Adventure Tours: $1,775
- "Awash National Park Safari Experience": $280
- 1 Day Addis Ababa City Tour: $180
- 14-Days Northern Ethiopia Tours: $1,580
- 2-Day Wenchi Crater Lake & Ethiopian Highland Experience: $300
- 2-Day: Addis Ababa city tour & Debre Libanos with Lunch: $265
- 2-Night 3-Day Danakil Depression Tour without Flights: $300
- 3 Day Private Meskel Festival, Addis Ababa City and Debre Libanos Monastery Tour: $300
- 3 Days Meskel Festival Package-Addis Ababa City Tour/Debre Libanos Monastery: $256
- 3-Day Addis Ababa — Monastery, Gorge & Crater Lake Tour: $1,650
- 3-Day Awash National Park Wildlife & Hot Springs Tour: $730
Typical Entertainment Prices in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Kayak Rental (One Hour)$7.46
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Snorkel Rental$2.98
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Kayak and Snorkel (2)$2.98
Tours and Activities in Koh Tao
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Koh Tao.
- 5 Islands Full-Day Tour Around Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan: $29
- Basic Diver ( One Day Experience): $119
- CocoTipAdventures and Snorkel with Meals-BBQs-Cocktail-Sunset: $52
- Full day snorkeling adventure around Koh Tao: $29
- Ko Tao: Ko Nangyuan & Hidden Bays Snorkeling Tour with Lunch: $29
- Koh Nang Yuan and Koh Tao 5 Point Snorkeling Tour: $33
- Koh Tao 3 Dive Catamaran Diving Experience with MV Chaba: $110
- Koh Tao 5-Stop Snorkeling and Sunset Big Boat Tour with Lunch: $39
- Koh Tao Afternoon Snorkeling Experience with 5 Stops: $31
- Koh Tao Small-Group Snorkeling Tour with Lunch and Pickup Option: $45
- Koh Tao Snorkeling Tour to Hidden Bays and Koh Nang Yuan: $41
- Koh Tao Top Crystal Clear Snorkeling Day Tour by Big Boat: $26
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $2.33Koh Tao $7.81
Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:
- Pastry, Chocolate, and Wine Tour with Pickup: $60
Typical Alcohol Prices in Koh Tao
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Tao from other travelers:
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Beer$1.94
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Bottle of Wine$11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Koh Tao, we can see that Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao is in Asia, 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 Koh Tao would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Koh Tao?
Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 2000 times larger than the population of Koh Tao. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Koh Tao, 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.