A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Addis Ababa vs. Reykjavik for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Reykjavik?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Reykjavik, 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 Reykjavik?

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.

Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the capital and largest city in the country of Iceland. The city is where the vast majority of the country's population resides and the urban area has about 200,000 residents. The city is sprawling, with a large area covered in suburbs. The the city center is quite compact, with many interesting and colorful houses. There are a lot of things that attract tourists to this city, including an interesting culture and history as well as plenty of shopping and dining opportunities.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Iceland, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Iceland.


Which place is cheaper, Reykjavik 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 $36, while the average daily cost in Reykjavik is $264. 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 Reykjavik in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $19
    Reykjavik $138
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $38
    Reykjavik $276
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Reykjavik

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Reykjavik? 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.

Hotels in Addis Ababa


Hotels in Reykjavik


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 Reykjavik Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.47
    Reykjavik $45
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa

Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $138
  • Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $37
  • City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $35
  • Bole Airport Transfer: $25
  • Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $16
  • Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $25
  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
  • 4 Hours Addis Airport Transfer with Ethiopian Cultural Tour: $299
  • Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Reykjavik

Also for Reykjavik, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private 7-hour Airport/Cruise Transfer & Tour: $1,432
  • Private Golden Circle and Sky Lagoon Transfer: $1,259
  • Private 6-Hour Airport/Cruise Transfer & Tour: $1,258
  • Private 4-Hour Airport/Cruise Transfer & Tour: $876
  • Private 3-Hour Airport/Cruise Transfer & Tour: $702
  • Door to Door Private Blue Lagoon Transfer: $600
  • Private Transfer Hvammsvik - Reykjavik 2h waiting: $551
  • Blue Lagoon with Private Roundtrip Transfer: $476
  • From Skarfabakki: Blue Lagoon Round-Trip Transfer: $419
  • From Blue Lagoon Round-Trip Transfer: $419
  • Keflavik Airport Private Transfer: $349
  • From ATV Ride and Blue Lagoon Tour with Transfer: $346

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Reykjavik?

Prices for flights to both Reykjavik 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 $13
    Reykjavik $51
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:


  • Slice of Cake
    $0.05

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:

  • 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 Private City Tour with Immersive Cooking Class Lunch: $68
  • Ethiopian cooking class: $68
  • Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner: $80
  • Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $83
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $86
  • Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $90
  • Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $90
  • Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95
  • Mount Entoto View Point, Museum Palace Local Market & Food Tours : $99

Typical Food Prices in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dinner (Fish Market)
    $176

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Exclusive dinner with a local family - Visit a Reykjavík home: $96
  • The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour: $125
  • Icelandic Food Tour: $125
  • Authentic Reykjavik Food Tour with Flea Market Delights: $125
  • Weekend Reykjavik Food Tour with a stop at the Reykjavik Flea Market: $127
  • Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks: $135
  • 3 Hour Shared Christmas Food Tour with Guide in Reykjavik: $149
  • Private Vegetarian Reykjavik Food Tour: $195
  • Private Christmas Food Tour with a Local Guide: $209
  • Private Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour: $215
  • Reykjavik Food Tour and City Walk - PRIVATE TOUR: $294

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.58
    Reykjavik $71

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.

  • Fullday VIP Tour to The Unity Park, Friendship Park, Entoto park: $188
  • Go where thelocalsgo, Eatwhat the localseat!open MarketTour&More: $72
  • "Awash National Park Safari Experience": $280
  • 1 Day Addis Ababa City Tour: $180
  • 2 Day Lalibela Tours: $300
  • 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $295
  • 2 Days Gheralta Tour Hidden Churches in Northern Ethiopia: $300
  • 2 Days Private Tour in Addis Ababa Ethiopia: $151
  • 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
  • 4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour: $65
  • 4 Hours Addis Ababa highlights city tour from Bole airport: $75

Typical Entertainment Prices in Reykjavik

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Reykjavik's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Art Museum
    $11
  • Wine and Spa
    $29

Tours and Activities in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour: $79
  • #1 Northern Lights Tour In Iceland from Reykjavik with PRO photos: $161
  • 1+ hour Private Horse riding tour from Reykjavík/Mosfellsbær: $155
  • 1-Hour Helicopter Tour in Iceland: The Geothermal Tour: $427
  • 1-Hour Small Group Sightseeing Boat Tour in Vestmannaeyjar: $134
  • 2-Day South Coast, Blue Ice Cave, Glacier Lagoon Tour: $578
  • 2-Hour RIB Boat Whale Watching Tour from Reykjavik: $168
  • 3 Day Highland Adventure in Kerlingarfjöll with Snowmobiling: $1,763
  • 3-Hour Volcanic Springs ATV Adventure From Reykjavik: $314
  • 4-Day South Coast, Blue Ice Cave, Glacier Lagoon Tour: $807
  • ATV & Helicopter combination tour From Reykajvik: $470
  • ATV & Sky Lagoon tour: $325

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $2.96
    Reykjavik $28

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 Reykjavik

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Reykjavik are as follows:


  • Beer
    $8.67

Sample the Local Flavors in Reykjavik

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Reykjavik:

  • Eimverk Distillery Guided Tour with Tasting: $31
  • Craft Beer and Brewery Tour in Iceland: $35
  • Reykjavik Bar Crawl 5-Stop Nightlife Tour with Drinks Included: $195
  • Private Brewery & Beer Tasting Tour: $413
  • Microbrewery and Distillery Private Tour: $417


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Reykjavik, we can see that Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Reykjavik?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Reykjavik. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Reykjavik, 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.