Which place is cheaper, Addis Ababa or Masai Mara?
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 Masai Mara or Addis Ababa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Masai Mara and Addis Ababa. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Masai Mara or Addis Ababa?
Masai Mara
Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, and The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesAddis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133Addis Ababa $34
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Addis Ababa is $34. 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 Masai Mara and Addis Ababa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Addis Ababa $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Addis Ababa $38
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Addis Ababa
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Addis Ababa? 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: Masai Mara Hotel Prices and Addis Ababa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Addis Ababa $3.36
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Airport Transfers: $40
- Nairobi Airport (NBO) Private Transfer to Nairobi City/Hotels: $17
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$0.23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $17
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
- Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $34
- City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $35
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
- Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $152
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Addis Ababa?
Prices for flights to both Addis Ababa and Masai Mara 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 dayMasai Mara $57Addis Ababa $13
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:
- Cooking Class, Injera baking & coffee ceremony: $48
- Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
- Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $58
- Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $60
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
- Flavors of Ethiopia Explore Traditional Cooking Class : $67
- Ethiopian cooking class: $68
- Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner: $80
- Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $86
- Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $90
- Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $90
- Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Addis Ababa $3.47
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- 5 Hour Private Tour Nairobi National Park Or Evening Game Drive: $100
- Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225
- Amboseli National Park Day Tour from Nairobi: $150
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- Day Tour Nairobi National Park Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen: $245
- Day Tour To Hells Gate and optional boat ride at Lake Naivasha: $116
- Day Tour to Amboseli National Park: $300
- Day Tour to Kereita Forest and ZipLining: $99
- Day tour to Hell's gate and optional boat ride at lake naivasha : $53
- Day tour to Kiambethu tea Farm : $50
- Day trip - Lake Nakuru National Park Tour From Nairobi: $130
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- Layover in Addis: Tailored Tours for Transit Passengers: $25
- Entoto hill and Mercato Market layover tour: $34
- Half day Addis Ababa Layover city tour: $36
- Addis Ababa DayTours with Hotel/Airport pick up and drop off: $45
- Addis Ababa half day tour: $45
- Pup crawl and nightlife tour in Addis Ababa.: $50
- Addis Ababa City Tour: $50
- Explores the Heart of Addis Ababa full day city tour: $50
- Addis Ababa City Tour. : $52
- Local Food Open-Air Markets Walking Tour& More: $52
- Addis Ababa highlight city tour: $55
- Addis Ababa Group City Day Tour: $55
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Addis Ababa $2.86
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 Masai Mara and Addis Ababa, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Masai Mara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Masai Mara 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 Masai Mara Expensive? and Is Addis Ababa Expensive?.
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.