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

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Saaremaa?

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

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

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.

Saaremaa

Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia and it has a unique and rural atmosphere that makes it an interesting place to visit. Saaremaa has remained rural and frozen in time due to its isolated location, particularly during Soviet occupation when it was used as a military base. The island still has working windmills, hand placed stone walls, and old stone churches that feel like you've stepped back in time.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Tallinn, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Estonia.


Which place is cheaper, Saaremaa 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 $28, while the average daily cost in Saaremaa is $146. 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 Saaremaa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $15
    Saaremaa $41
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $30
    Saaremaa $82
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Saaremaa

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Saaremaa? 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 Saaremaa


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.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $2.77
    Saaremaa $54
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

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


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.19

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
  • Addis Ababa Layover Tour: Mercato Market & Airport Transfer: $77
  • Private Addis Ababa Airport Transfer: $55
  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
  • City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $35
  • 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 Saaremaa

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Saaremaa:


  • Rental Car and Gas for a Day
    $39

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Saaremaa?

Prices for flights to both Saaremaa 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 $11
    Saaremaa $72
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

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


  • 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:

  • Addis Eats Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
  • Berbere Bites Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $49
  • Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $54
  • Flavors of Ethiopia: Hands-On Cooking Class in Addis Ababa: $55
  • Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • 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 Ababa Private City Tour with Immersive Cooking Class Lunch: $85

Typical Food Prices in Saaremaa

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


  • Salmon
    $1.46

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $2.86
    Saaremaa $24

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
  • 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $315
  • 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 Days Rock Hewn Churches Cultural Tour in Lalibela: $300
  • 3-Day Wild Wonders and Nature, Awash National Park Tour: $490
  • 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
  • A Guided Tour of Addis Ababa That Includes a City Viewpoint: $65
  • A guided tour of Addis Abeba that includes a city viewpoint: $62

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $2.36
    Saaremaa $13

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


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


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Saaremaa?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 180 times larger than the population of Saaremaa. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Saaremaa, 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.