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

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Rotterdam?

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

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

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.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands and has the largest port in Europe. It's famously known as a city of architecture. In a few square kilometers of the city center you can get a complete overview of twentieth century architecture within Rotterdam.

Rotterdam is a very diverse, international, and hard working city. Nearly half of the city's population is not native to the Netherlands or have at least one parent from outside the country. Muslim's make up a significant portion of the population. Other area's represented include Cape Verde and the Dutch Antilles.

There's an air of optimism that permeates the entire city. There are frequent events, festivals and performances, making Rotterdam an enjoyable place to spend some time. Water is also an integral part of the city design.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best River Cruises from Amsterdam, and The Best Bicycle Tours in Netherlands.


Which place is cheaper, Rotterdam 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 Rotterdam is $200. 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 Rotterdam in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $20
    Rotterdam $81
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $40
    Rotterdam $162
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Rotterdam

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Rotterdam? 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 Rotterdam


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 Rotterdam Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.53
    Rotterdam $27
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

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


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa

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

  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
  • Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $30
  • City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $26
  • City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $26
  • Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $21
  • Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rotterdam

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

  • Private Minivan Transfer from Rotterdam: $291
  • Private Minivan Transfer from Rotterdam : $270
  • Private Transfer From Rotterdam to Amsterdam, With a 2 Hour Stop: $237
  • Private Transfer from Rotterdam City to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: $205
  • Private Rotterdam Cruise Port Departure Transfer to Amsterdam: $170
  • Private taxi transfer from Rotterdam to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: $170
  • Private Transfer from Rotterdam to Amsterdam: $169
  • Private Transfer from Rotterdam to AMS Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: $169
  • Private Rotterdam Cruise Port Departure Transfer to AMS Schiphol Airport : $167
  • Private transfer Schiphol (AMS) to or from Rotterdam: $165
  • Private transfer from Rotterdam cruise port to Schiphol Airport: $162
  • Rotterdam Private Transfer to Schiphol Airport & Amsterdam City: $161

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Rotterdam?

Prices for flights to both Rotterdam 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 $14
    Rotterdam $97
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

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


  • 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
  • Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $50
  • Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
  • Mom's cooking class: $60
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $70
  • City Tour, Food Tour, Shopping Mercato Market : $72
  • Addis Ababa Private City Tour with Immersive Cooking Class Lunch: $77
  • Ethiopian Cultural Dinner in Addis Ababa with LIVE Traditional Dance Show: $77
  • Culinary Class and Food Tour in Addis Ababa : $82
  • Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $84
  • Ethiopian cooking class: $95

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rotterdam

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

  • Guided Food Tour: $73
  • Rotterdam Food Tour with Local Guide - the best vegan spots: $79
  • Historic Delfshaven: Lunch or Dinner with a Private Chef: $79
  • Guided Walking Food Tour: $94
  • Food Tour by Bike: $94
  • Walking Rotterdam Food Tour: $96
  • Biking Rotterdam Food Tour with Local Guide: $96
  • Private Walking Food Tour of Rotterdam: $119
  • Rotterdam Private 2-Hour Food Tour with Tastings: $159

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.64
    Rotterdam $33

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

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

  • Addis Ababa City Tours Full-Day Tours : $113
  • Fullday VIP Tour to The Unity Park, Friendship Park, Entoto park: $95
  • "Awash National Park Safari Experience": $280
  • 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $295
  • 2 Days guided Tour in Addis Abeba: $68
  • 2-Day Sof Omar Cave and Sheik Hussein Shrine Tour: $450
  • 3 Day Private Meskel Festival, Addis Ababa City and Debre Libanos Monastery Tour: $300
  • 3 Days Visiting Harar and Dire Dawa Tours: $480
  • 4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour: $85
  • 4 Hours Addis Ababa highlights city tour from Bole airport: $75
  • 5 Days Visiting Tigray Churches Tours: $1,200
  • 9 Days Omo Valley and Danakil Danakil Depression tour: $3,808

Tours and Activities in Rotterdam

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

  • "Remastered" Audiovisual Experience in Rotterdam: $26
  • 2-Hour Walking Tour in Gouda All inclusive: $19
  • 90 Minutes Self-Guided Family Friendly Walking Tour in Gouda: $21
  • All Inclusive, Private Tour Rotterdam + Euromast 360º view: $209
  • Art and Architecture Walking Tour in Rotterdam - guided by Architects: $65
  • Best of small-group walking tour: $95
  • Best of small-group walking tour: $86
  • Boat & Beer Walking Tour: $102
  • Breda Highlight Bike Tour: $32
  • Breda in 1 Day - Walking Tour - Audioguide in 7 languages: $7.18
  • Breda: The True Lord Quest Experience: $7.00
  • Classic Rotterdam Highlight Bicycle Tour by a Local: $49

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $3.01
    Rotterdam $20

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 Rotterdam

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rotterdam:

  • Beer Brewery Noordt Tastings with Optional Tour: $7.93
  • Stadshaven Brewery Tour with Beer Tastings: $12


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


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Rotterdam?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Rotterdam. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Rotterdam, 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.