Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Masai Mara or Cairo?
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 Cairo. 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 Cairo?
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.
Cairo
Cairo is the chaotic capital city of Egypt. With a population of more than 16 million, it is one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East. As a traveler, you're likely to arrive and leave from here and you'll get your first orientation to the area during the chaotic and congestion filled taxi ride from the airport.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $109Cairo $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $109, while the average daily cost in Cairo is $17. 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 Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Cairo $9.19
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Cairo $18
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Cairo
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Cairo? 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 Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $48Cairo $2.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Airport Transfers: $40
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
-
Metro Ride$0.08
-
Taxi Ride$0.31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- Cairo Airport Private Transfer: $6.00
- Private One-Way or Return Airport Transfer Service: $8.37
- Private Transfer to Cairo and Giza from Cairo Airport: $9.00
- Private Arrival or Departure Cairo Airport Transfer: $9.50
- Private Transfer from Cairo Airport to Hotels in Cairo: $10
- Cairo Airport Private Arrival Transfer to Anywhere in Cairo: $10
- Cairo Airport Transfer by private car: $10
- Private Arrival Transfer From Cairo Airport: $11
- Private Transfer from Cairo Airport: $12
- Private Departure Transfer from Cairo City to Cairo Airport: $12
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Hotel Royal: $12
- Private Pickup transfer from JW Marriott Hotel Cairo to Cairo airport: $12
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo 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
-
Food Meals for one dayMasai Mara $33Cairo $4.66
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Nairobi Private Carnivore Dinner Experience: $125
Typical Food Prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
-
Juice$0.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
- Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show and Private Transfer: $6.69
- Giza Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $11
- Nile Dinner Cruise in Cairo with entertainment Shows Dine & Sail: $11
- Dinner Cruise On the Nile with Belly Dancing Show: $11
- Cairo Dinner Cruise on the River Nile with Belly Dancing Show: $11
- Cairo dinner Cruise with Belly dancer show: $11
- 2-Hour Nile River Dinner Cruise From Cairo: $11
- Nile Dinner Cruise in Cairo with Belly Dancing and Hotel Transfer: $11
- Nile Dinner Cruise in Cairo With Belly Dancing and Transfer : $11
- Night Dinner Cruise in Cairo: $11
- Cairo Nile Dinner Cruise with entertainment shows include pickup : $11
- Private Cairo Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $11
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $61Cairo $5.65
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: $38
- Half Day Tour Elephant Orphanage,Giraffe CenterKobe Beads Factory: $38
- 2-Hour Private Tour in Giraffe Centre in Nairobi: $44
- Nairobi Coffee farm and factory tour, Fairview estate.: $49
- 1Day Tour Nairobi Park ,Giraffe Center,karen Blixxen Guided tour: $50
- Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center Half Day Tour: $50
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
- Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
- Giraffe Centre and Animal Orphanage Guided Tour In Nairobi. : $60
- Day Tour at Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Centre: $62
- Half-Day Private Cultural Tour to Bomas of Kenya: $65
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
-
Entry to Camel Market for Two$0.83
-
Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.38
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cheapest Tour to Wonders Pyramids of Giza and Great Sphinx : $4.00
- Dahshur Pyramids Entry Tickets: $4.62
- Private Day Tour Egyptian Museum and Giza Pyramids: $4.75
- Prince Mohamed Ali Palace Entry Ticket: $4.80
- Best cairo tours visit to Giza Pyramids and Sphinx: $5.00
- Cairo Half day tours to Giza Pyramids and Sphinx: $5.00
- Cairo Private Guided Shopping Tour with Transportation and Lunch: $5.00
- Private Day tour to Giza pyramids and Sphinx : $5.00
- Wonders Historical Tour To Pyramids of Giza And Great Sphinx : $5.00
- Full Day Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Saqqara: $5.00
- Private Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx : $5.00
- Cairo Shopping tour Private Papyrus Essential oils Bazar Cotton : $5.00
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Cairo $1.15
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairo
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cairo:
- Pub Crawl and Speakeasy Bar Tour with 2 Free Drinks: $56
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Cairo, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cairo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairo 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 Cairo.
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 Cairo 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.