Which place is cheaper, San Diego 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 San Diego?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or San Diego, 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 San Diego?
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.
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas.
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Addis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia PricesSan Diego Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $32San Diego $233
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $32, while the average daily cost in San Diego is $233. 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 San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $17San Diego $115
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $34San Diego $230
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and San Diego
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or San Diego? 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 San Diego Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $3.10San Diego $23
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$0.21
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
- Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $154
- Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
- Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $23
- Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $23
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Tijuana Intl Airport (TIJ) to Playas de Rosarito - Arrival Private Transfer: $276
- Private Transfer Airport Tijuana/Valle de Guadalupe (Ensenada) or back.: $165
- Tijuana to Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $141
- Private Transfer from Tijuana to Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe: $140
- Sedan Arrival Private Transfer San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego: $125
- Departure Private Transfer: San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car: $113
- Sedan Departure Transfer San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN: $104
- San Diego Airport: One-Way Transfer to San Diego downtown: $90
- Private Arrival Transfer - from San Diego Airport (SAN) by SUV: $89
- Private Transfer from San Diego (SAN) Airport to San Diego City: $88
- Private Transfer from San Diego City to San Diego (SAN) Airport: $88
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Tijuana Airport (TIJ): $77
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego 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 $12San Diego $77
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$0.05
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
Typical Food Prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
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Mexican Lunch for Two$27
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Breakfast at Starbucks$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 2-Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- 2 Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef in San Diego : $75
- 2-Hour Pasta Cooking Class at a Local Brewery: $75
- Pizza and Ice Cream Walking Tour: $80
- Old Town Tequila and Tacos Walking Food Tour: $84
- San Diego Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $85
- North Park San Diego Walking Food Tour: $85
- Vegan Food Tour: $89
- Gaslamp Quarter Food Tour: $89
- Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour: Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $90
- Christmas Day Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $95
- Christmas Eve Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $3.20San Diego $48
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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San Diego Zoo$15
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Sea World Parking$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
- Gaslamp Quarter to Little Italy Tour: $39
- Maritime Museum of San Diego Admission Ticket: $28
- Old Town Walking Tour: $129
- The La Jolla Walking Tour: $119
- The Little Italy Walking Tour: $99
- 1 Hour GPS Guided Scooter Tour: Harbor/Gaslamp Quarter: $92
- 1-Hour Private Scenic Tandem Sidecar Tour in San Diego: $99
- 1.5 Hour Walking Tour from La Jolla in San Diego: $59
- 2-Hour Downtown and Balboa Tour in GPS Guided Vanderhall GoCar: $288
- 2-Hour GoCar Tour of Downtown San Diego and Old Town: $52
- 2-Hour GoCar Tour of Downtown and Balboa Park: $90
- 2-Hour San Diego Pier Fishing Experience: $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $2.64San Diego $21
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 San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Downtown Bar Crawl Party Pass: $25
- History Tour Pub Crawl of Famous Gaslamp Quarter: $30
- Hillcrest: LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl with Local Drag Queen: $35
- Hillcrest Drag Queen 5 Bar Crawl with Shots: $45
- Brewery Tour with Tastings and Food Pairings: $85
- $99 Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tours - DayTrip to baja from San Diego: $123
- Little Italy Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $125
- Cruise & Booze Brewery tours : $149
- Baja Tour Guide wine tour: $169
- Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tour: $249
- Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego: $269
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and San Diego, we can see that San Diego 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 San Diego is in North 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 San Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego 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 San Diego Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or San Diego?
Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of San Diego. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and San Diego, 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.