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

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Salta?

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

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

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.

Salta

Located in the heart of the famous Northwest region of Argentina, at 1200m of elevation and at the foot of the Cerro San Bernardo, Salta is the largest city of the region and perhaps the most beautiful colonial city of Argentina. Founded in 1582 by the Spanish, Salta was an important stop for merchants who followed the usual trade road through Bolivia and Peru. Argentines call this city nestled in the foothills of the Andes and surrounded by mountains, of just over half a million inhabitants, Salta La Linda (Salta the Beautiful) and it's easy to see why. Young and traditional at the same time, Salta and its renowned museums, plaza side cafes and live musica folklorica of its bustling penas, is a sophisticated and lively city day and night.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, and The Best Eco Tours in Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, Salta 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 Salta is $45. 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 Salta in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $17
    Salta $31
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $34
    Salta $62
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Salta

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Salta? 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 Salta


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 Salta Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.10
    Salta $3.13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

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


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.21

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: $154
  • Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
  • Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $23
  • Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $23
  • 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 Salta

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

  • Saver Combo: Cafayate, Cachi, Salt Fields, Transfers and Walking: $184
  • Combo: Cafayate, Cachi and Humahuaca, transfers and walking tour: $177
  • Humahuaca, 7-color Hill & round trip transfers airport - hotel in Salta: $167
  • Cafayate Wine Tour with Tastings and Transfers: $150
  • Combo: Cafayate Tour + Cachi + Transfers + Free Walking Tour: $117
  • Salta City Tour & Round Trip Transfers airport - hotel: $109
  • From Salinas and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $99
  • From Cafayate and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $88
  • Private 1-Way or Round Trip SLA Airport Transfer: $56
  • Salta Airport One-Way or Round-Trip Transfers: $45
  • Salta Airport Shuttle Transfer: $15
  • Shared Transfer from Downtown Hotels in Salta to Airport: $12

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Salta?

Prices for flights to both Salta 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
    Salta $5.41
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:

  • 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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.20
    Salta $27

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

Tours and Activities in Salta

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

  • Full-Day Tour to Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca From Salta: $38
  • 2-Day Tour to Cachi and Los Cardones National Park: $57
  • 3 Day Tour from Salta to Cachi, Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
  • Adventure in the North: Pack of 4 Excursions + Hornocal: $132
  • Best of Guided City Tour: $43
  • Cachi Full Day Tour with Los Cardones National Park: $34
  • Exclusive day-long private tour of Cafayate vineyards: $278
  • From Salta 3 Day Tour to Cafayate Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
  • From Cachi and Los Cardones National Park Tour: $30
  • From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $20
  • From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $30
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $31

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $2.64
    Salta $5.50

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

Sample the Local Flavors in Salta

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Salta:

  • Cafayate: Full-day tour of wineries and wine tasting: $29
  • Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta: $30
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate with Wine Tasting: $30
  • From Cafayate Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $40
  • Half Day Wine Tasting in Salta: $147


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


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Salta?

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