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

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Ulaanbaatar?

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

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

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.

Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's capital city. It has a population of slightly over two million people, or about sixty percent of the country's entire population. You are likely to arrive in Ulaanbaatar either by train, coming from China or Russia, or by plane. Many people use Ulaanbaatar as a stop off while doing the Transsiberian Railway. The city is a great place to organize a tour of the surrounding countryside. It's also good city to relax, so make sure you allow yourself a few days to recover from your tour, enjoy some of the great food options, and see some of the fascinating cultural sights around town.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia, and The Best Luxury Tours to Mongolia.


Which place is cheaper, Ulaanbaatar 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 $37, while the average daily cost in Ulaanbaatar is $25. 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 Ulaanbaatar in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $20
    Ulaanbaatar $12
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $40
    Ulaanbaatar $24
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Ulaanbaatar

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Ulaanbaatar? 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 Ulaanbaatar


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 Ulaanbaatar Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.58
    Ulaanbaatar $2.95
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:

  • Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
  • Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $30
  • Addis Ababa Private Airport-Hotel Transfer: $82
  • Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $19
  • City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $26
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $21
  • City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $26
  • Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ulaanbaatar

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ulaanbaatar:

  • Private Transfer between New Ulaanbaatar International Airport and Ulaanbaatar : $60
  • Private Transfer from Ulaanbaatar to or from Terelj National Park: $60
  • Transfer service to Terelj national park : $51
  • Airport transfer service: $50
  • New Ulaanbaatar International Airport Transfer Service: $45
  • Airport - Ulaanbaatar transfer service: $40
  • Airport Transfer and Terelj National Park Tour: $40
  • VIP Pick Up Or Drop Off Airport Transfer In Ulaanbaatar City (UB): $39
  • Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $37
  • Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $35
  • Private Airport Transfer taxi in Ulaanbaatar: $30
  • Private Transfer to Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN by Business Vehicle: $28

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Ulaanbaatar?

Prices for flights to both Ulaanbaatar 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
    Ulaanbaatar $9.06
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
  • Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
  • Mom's cooking class: $60
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $70
  • City Tour, Food Tour, Shopping Mercato Market : $72
  • Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $85
  • Ethiopian cooking class: $95
  • Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour: $100
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa Ethiopia: $106
  • Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa: $116

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ulaanbaatar

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ulaanbaatar.

  • Traditional Mongolian Food Cooking Class w.Chef: $96
  • Cooking Class in a Traditional Ger Home in Ulaanbaatar Suburbs: $100

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $3.69
    Ulaanbaatar $4.48

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

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

  • Addis Ababa City Tour: $46
  • Layover Tour with National Museum & Mercato: $48
  • Addis Ababa city tour.: $49
  • Pup crawl and nightlife tour in Addis Ababa.: $50
  • Best of Addis Ababa City Tour: $53
  • Guided City Tour: $54
  • Best of Addis Privet Guided city Tour: $54
  • Addis Ababa highlight city tour: $59
  • City Highlights and Market Tour: $60
  • Half Day City Tour of Addis Ababa : $60
  • Addis Ababa city Tour: $60
  • Addis Ababa City Tour: $60

Tours and Activities in Ulaanbaatar

Here are a few actual costs in Ulaanbaatar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Private Tandem Paragliding Experience at Bayanzurkh Mountain: $100
  • 1 Day Coach Tour of Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Terelj (FREE dog sledding): $89
  • 1 Day Coach Tour of Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park Including Lunch: $83
  • 1 Day Coach Tour of Terelj National Park Including Lunch And Free Camel Ride: $83
  • 1 Day Semi-Gobi All-included tour : $146
  • 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel +Bonus Khustai National Park: $169
  • 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel or Horseback Ride: $175
  • 1 Day Tour: Khustai National Park: $193
  • 1 Day tour: Khustai National Park: Przewalski's wild horses: $190
  • 1 Session with Shaman and know your future tour: $149
  • 12 day Great Gobi and Central Mongolia full adventure: $2,500
  • 2 Day Horse ride and Terelj national park tour: $375

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $3.05
    Ulaanbaatar $3.88

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


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Ulaanbaatar, we can see that Addis Ababa is more expensive. And not only is Ulaanbaatar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Ulaanbaatar is in Asia, 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 Ulaanbaatar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ulaanbaatar 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 Addis Ababa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Addis Ababa than you might in Ulaanbaatar.

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 Ulaanbaatar Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Ulaanbaatar?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Ulaanbaatar. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Ulaanbaatar, 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.

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