Which place is cheaper, Aswan or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Aswan?
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 Aswan. 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 Aswan?
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.
Aswan
Lounging along the Nile like Egyptian royalty is a fantasy for most world travelers. If you want to do it without the hustle and bustle of Cairo, there's always Aswan. This city in the south of Egypt is the smallest of the three major cities on the Nile. Located just below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Aswan's 275,00 people include a large portion of Nubians – mostly resettled from their flooded homeland.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best 10-Day Tours in Egypt, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Egypt.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $111Aswan $16
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $111, while the average daily cost in Aswan is $16. 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 Aswan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $38Aswan $6.75
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $76Aswan $14
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Aswan
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Aswan? 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 Aswan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $48Aswan $4.34
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Private One-Way Nairobi Airport Transfer: $29
- Airport Transfers: $40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Aswan: $5.00
- Aswan Airport Private Transfer: $6.00
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $6.40
- Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan: $8.00
- Station Aswan Transfer To hotel: $8.00
- Private Aswan Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Transfer: $10
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
- Private Aswan Airport Transfer To Hotel : $10
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Anywhere in Aswan: $10
- Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Private Transfer: $10
- Private Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Transfer: $10
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Aswan?
Prices for flights to both Aswan 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 $34Aswan $5.73
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show: $91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.
- Dinner at Soleih restaurant by vehicle: $33
- Nubian Dinner in Nubian Village Of Aswan: $40
- Nubian lunch Or Dinner at Nubian village : $75
- Private 3-Hour Nubian Party with Dinner and Pickup in Aswan: $77
- Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan : $90
- Dinner In Nile Cruise in Aswan: $150
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $61Aswan $6.11
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $35
- Half Day Tour Elephant Orphanage,Giraffe CenterKobe Beads Factory: $38
- 1Day Tour Nairobi Park ,Giraffe Center,karen Blixxen Guided tour: $45
- A day tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $52
- Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
- Nairobi City Tour: $68
- Lake Nakuru National Park; Admission Ticket: $75
- Lake Nakuru National Park Day Tour from Nairobi: $75
- Karen Blixen Museum & Giraffe Centre Half day tour: $90
- Day tour to Hell's gate and optional boat ride at lake naivasha : $98
- Giraffe Center, Elephant Orphanage, Beads Center & Bomas of Kenya Tour Nairobi: $115
- Day trip - Lake Nakuru National Park Tour From Nairobi: $130
Typical Entertainment Prices in Aswan
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Aswan are as follows:
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Temple Kom Ombo for Two$1.26
Tours and Activities in Aswan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:
- The High Dam In Aswan Entry Ticket: $2.53
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Ticket: $5.60
- Philae Temple Entry Ticket: $11
- Aswan High Dam Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $13
- Philae Temple Complex Skip the Line Entry Ticket: $13
- Temple Of Kalabsha Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $14
- Day Trip to Nubian Village with Camel Tour: $15
- Philae temple entry ticket: $16
- City Tour in Aswan by Bicycle : $16
- Private Day Tour to Phalie Temple, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk: $17
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $17
- Kom Ombo Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off From Aswan: $19
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $27Aswan $1.24
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Aswan, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Aswan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Aswan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Aswan 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 Aswan.
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 Aswan 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.