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 $109Cape Town $106
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $109, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $106. 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 $37Cape Town $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Cape Town $84
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 $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Airport Transfers: $40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers: $12
- 24 hour Private Airport Shuttle and Transfer: $18
- 1.Cape Town Airport Transfer (&Private tour trips during yo Stay): $18
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Claremont Cape Town : $18
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Claremont to Cape Town Airport: $19
- Airport Transfer to Cape Town Cruise Terminal: $19
- Airport Shuttle Transfer from Airport to Cape Town City Center : $19
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Camps Bay Cape Town: $19
- Shuttle Transport Transfer from Camps Bay to Cape Town Airport: $19
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $19
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer from Airport to Constantia: $19
- Transport Shuttle Transfer from Constantia to Cape Town Airport: $19
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 $33Cape Town $45
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
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:
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $31
- Cape Malay Cooking with a Chef Founder: $31
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $44
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $47
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $60
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $61
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $64
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $65
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $67
- From CapeTown: African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $67
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $67
- Cooking Class and Wine Tasting in a Cape Town Home in Wynberg : $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $61Cape Town $25
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: $50
- 5 hours Nairobi national park Private tour: $150
- 2-Hour Private Tour in Giraffe Centre in Nairobi: $44
- 3-Days Maasai Mara Camping Safari on 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep: $285
- 6 Hour Private Tour Nairobi National Park Or Evening Game Drive: $110
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $75
- Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
- Day Tour at Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Centre: $62
- Day Tour to Amboseli National park and Masai Village Tour: $190
- Day Tour to Karura Forest Nature Trail: $80
- Day Tour to Lake Nakuru with optional boat ride in Lake Naivasha: $274
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.87
- District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $4.00
- 30 Minute Harbour Boat Cruise with Seal Watching: $4.09
- Half Hour Seal and Harbour Cruise from Cape Town: $4.19
- Cape Town 30-minute V&A Harbour Cruise: $4.47
- Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $4.47
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.75
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.75
- V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise: $5.00
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: A Self-guided Audio Tour: $5.34
- Muizenberg Like a Local: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of the Quirky Village: $5.40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Cape Town $22
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:
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $21
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $27
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $42
- From 3 Regions Wine Tour with 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $44
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $47
- Three Region Wine Tour: $48
- Full Day Constantia Wine Tasting and Table Mountain.: $48
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $52
- Stellenbosch Franschhoek & paarl 20 Wine Tasting small grp tour : $54
- Stellenbosch, Franschhoek & Paarl 5 Wine Tasting Tour small group: $54
- Fullday Wine Tour: $56
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $56
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.