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

Should you visit Addis Ababa or Valletta?

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

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

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.

Valletta

A harbor city and the capital city of the island of Malta, Valletta dates back to the 16th-century with a preserved architectural heritage that earned the city a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is best known for its museums, palaces, and churches.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Malta, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Malta.


Which place is cheaper, Valletta or Addis Ababa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $67, while the average daily cost in Valletta is $124. 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 Valletta in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Addis Ababa $43
    Valletta $70
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Addis Ababa $86
    Valletta $140
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Valletta

Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Valletta? 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 Valletta


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 Valletta Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Addis Ababa $7.78
    Valletta $25
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

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


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.52

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: $110
  • Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $22
  • Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $19
  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $44
  • Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Valletta

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

  • Temples Tour (Pick-up, Transfer, Tickets & Drop-off Included): $235
  • From Private Malta Highlights Tour with Transfer: $151
  • Private Airport Transfer from Malta to Gozo: $109
  • Airport Transfers (Private Group up to 15 people): $103
  • From Malta: Gozo Jeep Tour with Lunch and Hotel Transfers: $88
  • Private Airport Transfer in Malta: $88
  • Turkish Gullet Cruise to Gozo and Comino with Lunch and Transfers: $81
  • Airport transfers to all locations in Malta (Private Groups or Families): $81
  • Mdina and Highlights of Malta Full Day Guided Tour Incl. Lunch and Transfers: $67
  • Malta Airport Private Transfers: $66
  • Malta Private Transfer from Malta Airport to any resort in Malta island: $51
  • Malta Airport (MLA) Departure Transfer (Saint Julian's Hotels to Malta Airport): $49

Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Valletta?

Prices for flights to both Valletta 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 $17
    Valletta $35
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

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


  • Slice of Cake
    $0.12

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:

  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $70
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour: $75
  • Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa: $116
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $120
  • Private Ethiopian Home Cooking Class in Addis Ababa with Transfer: $124
  • HALF DAY + DINNER Addis Ababa City Tour: $140
  • Half Day + Dinner Addis Ababa City Tour: $150
  • Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis with transfers: $154
  • Market Tour and Cooking Class with a Coffee Ceremony at a Home in Addis Ababa: $168
  • Cooking Class and City Tour in Addis Ababa: $193
  • Food Tour in Addis Ababa: $205

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Valletta

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

  • Valletta Food Tour - Eat like a local: $46
  • Valletta Food Tour: $49
  • Folklore Evening Dinner Show at a Traditional Maltese Restaurant Incl. Transfers: $67
  • Maltese Traditional Dinner and Folklore Show with Transfers: $71
  • Fireworks Festival Cruise Including Dinner, Drinks and Transport: $77
  • The Ultimate Valletta Evening Food Tour: $81
  • Fernandes Sunset Cruise including Dinner with Open Bar: $81
  • Christmas Tour in Gozo (afternoon) inc. Dinner: $87
  • Blue Lagoon & Sunset Quad Tour in Gozo/Dinner: $101
  • From Blue Lagoon and Gozo Tour w/Quads and Dinner: $118
  • The Valletta Food Tour Experience, a private tour: $150
  • Private Valletta Food Tour: $175

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Addis Ababa $8.03
    Valletta $29

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
  • 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $311
  • 3 Days Visiting Harar and Dire Dawa Tours: $480
  • 4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour: $69
  • 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: $3,875
  • A guided tour of Addis Abeba that includes a city viewpoint: $65
  • Addis Ababa - Half Day City Tour: $180
  • Addis Ababa Authentic Private City Tour: $75
  • Addis Ababa Bole Airport Culinary and Walking Tour : $69
  • Addis Ababa City - Half Day Tour: $55

Tours and Activities in Valletta

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

  • 3 Cities Tour: $16
  • 3 Hours Private Picnic Experience in Malta: $273
  • 3 cities: Private Insider Walking Tour with Licensed Guide: $161
  • 30-Minute Mdina Experience Audio-Visual Show Ticket (Open Ticket): $6.55
  • 4-hr day tour around Malta: $208
  • 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Pass Bus + Harbour Cruise: $55
  • 90 minutes Harbour Cruise in Valletta - ticket only: $22
  • A Monumental Maltese Experience: $175
  • Adventures in Malta: Thrills, History, and Natural Beauty: $322
  • An Insider's Malta VIP Tour: $162
  • Best of Mdina and Rabat Walking Tour: $20
  • Best of Valletta Walking Tour: $20

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Addis Ababa $6.63
    Valletta $17

Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:

  • Pub crawl Addis Ababa: $55
  • Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
  • The Pub Crawl Royale: A Battle of the Best Drinks: $65
  • Locally crafted beer and wine tasting and nightlife in Addis tour: $65
  • Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $69

Sample the Local Flavors in Valletta

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

  • Valletta Pub Crawl: $22
  • Malta Pub Crawl: $22
  • The Brewery Experience Self-Guided Tour with Tasting & Transport: $35
  • The Brewery Experience & beer tasting including transport: $35
  • Malta: The Three Cities and Wine Tasting Tour: $44


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


Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Valletta?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 410 times larger than the population of Valletta. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Valletta, 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.