Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Cape Town?
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 Cape Town. 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 Cape Town?
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.
Cape Town
Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.
Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $111Cape Town $96
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $111, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $96. 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 Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $38Cape Town $38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $76Cape Town $76
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Cape Town? 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 Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $48Cape Town $17
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 Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Airport Transfers in Cape Town- One way/Round Trips: $15
- 24 hour Private Airport Shuttle and Transfer CBD: $16
- 1.Cape Town Airport Transfer (&Private tour trips during yo Stay): $16
- Airport Transfer to Cape Town Cruise Terminal: $17
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Cape Town City Center (CBD) to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $17
- Transport Shuttle Transfer from Constantia to Cape Town Airport: $17
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Muizenberg Cape Town : $17
- Private Transfer Cape Town Airport to or from From Cape Town: $19
- Cape Town Airport (CPT) to Cape Town - Arrival Private Transfer: $21
- Private Airport Transfers: $21
- Shopping Mall Transfers: $21
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town 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 $34Cape Town $41
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 Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Dinner At Mandela's - Cultural Township Dinner Experience: $27
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $27
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $39
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $41
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $54
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $57
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $58
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $60
- Cape Town Food tour (Includes all food) 4hrs: $73
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Cape Town Food tour with locals: $100
- The Cape Town Essentials Food Tour: $106
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $61Cape Town $23
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- 1Day Tour Nairobi Park ,Giraffe Center,karen Blixxen Guided tour: $45
- 3-Days Maasai Mara Camping Safari on 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep: $285
- A day tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $52
- Amboseli Day Tour from Nairobi: $220
- Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
- Day tour to Hell's gate and optional boat ride at lake naivasha : $98
- Day trip - Lake Nakuru National Park Tour From Nairobi: $130
- Full Day Tour Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center: $275
- Giraffe Center, Elephant Orphanage, Beads Center & Bomas of Kenya Tour Nairobi: $115
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $35
- Half Day Tour Elephant Orphanage,Giraffe CenterKobe Beads Factory: $38
- Karen Blixen Museum & Giraffe Centre Half day tour: $90
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $2.99
- District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $3.11
- Kirstenbosch: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $3.99
- V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise: $4.00
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.24
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.24
- Meandering through Mouille Point: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $4.99
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Private Guided Tour of Cape Town Diamond Museum: $5.18
- Intaka Island Kayak Tour: $5.18
- The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
- Harbor Cruise: $5.39
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $27Cape Town $20
Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town
Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $9.36
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $19
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $27
- From 3 Regions Wine Tour with 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $37
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $37
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $47
- Fullday Wine Tour: $49
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $50
- Stellenbosch Wine Tour half day from Cape Town: $52
- Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour with Wine Tram: $61
- Wine Tasting Private Tour through Durbanville Winelands: $64
- Cape Town Tour with wine tasting.Full day peninsula tour.: $65
When comparing the travel costs between Masai Mara and Cape Town, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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 Cape Town 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.