Which place is cheaper, Cusco 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 Cusco?
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 Cusco. 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 Cusco?
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.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133Cusco $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $66. 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 Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Cusco $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Cusco $50
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Cusco? 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: Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Cusco $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Nairobi Airport (NBO) Private Transfer to Nairobi City/Hotels: $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride$1.18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- One-Way Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $7.00
- Private Transfer: Airport - Hotel in Cusco/Sacred Valley or VV: $9.00
- Cusco Airport Pickup and Transfer: $9.00
- One-Way Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $9.00
- Cusco Airport Shared Arrival Transfer: $9.50
- Cusco Airport Departure Transfer: $9.50
- Peru Cusco Airport (CUZ) Private Transfer to Cusco City: $10
- Private Transfer from your Hotel in Cusco to the Airport: $11
- Private Airport Transfer to Hotel in Cusco City: $11
- Private Transfer from Cusco Airport to Hotels: $11
- Cusco Airport to hotel Transfer: Fast, Reliable Drop-Off: $12
- Private transfers from or to Cusco Airport: $14
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco 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 $57Cusco $25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Kibera Slums Bomas of Kenya and Dinner at Carnivore Tour: $225
- Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.37
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Mango$0.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Cusco Tunupa Restaurant Folk Show with Dinner: $32
- Cooking Class: Lomo Saltado, Papa Huancaina, Pisco Sour in Cusco: $48
- Cusco Cooking Class by ChocoMuseo in Cusco: $54
- High-End Peruvian Cooking Class, Pisco Sour & San Pedro Market: $57
- Short Immersion Cooking Class: $60
- Peruvian Cooking Class Cocktails and Market Tour in Cusco: $63
- Cooking Class in Ollantaytambo: $68
- Cooking Class Peruvian Culinary Experience with Local Chefs: $70
- Dinner Show at SUYU a Peruvian Gastronomic and Experience: $77
- Cusco Tour at Night: Planetarium, Dinner & Pisco Sour: $79
- Cusco Food Tour: Andean Cuisine & City Tour: $79
- Curious Monkey Cusco- Market and Streets, Walking Food Tour: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Cusco $32
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
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Half Day Nairobi National Park Tour with Options: $67
- Half-Day Private Cultural Tour to Bomas of Kenya: $75
- Nairobi National Park Half Day Tour From Nairobi: $75
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $75
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Full-Day Kiambethu Tea Farm Tour From Nairobi with Lunch: $90
- Nairobi Souvenir Shopping and Historical Half day Tour: $95
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class$2.96
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- Discover Cusco with Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
- Cusco City Walking tour: Historia, Tradition, Culture: $5.00
- Cusco Self Guided Walking Tour Landmarks, Audio and Quiz: $8.23
- City Tour - Cusco: $10
- Cusco Walking tour and Koricancha Temple of the inkas tour: $10
- Cultural & Historic Walking Tour with Local Drinks: $10
- City tour Cusco Half day: $11
- Half-Day Cusco City Tour – Explore History, Culture & Inca Ruins: $12
- Half Day City Tour in Cusco: $12
- Explore Cusco Highlights in a Half Day City Tour: $12
- City Tour - Lugares destacado en Cusco + Experiencia Fotográfica: $12
- City Tour Cusco: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Cusco $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Bar Tour, Drinks And Club with no waiting lines: $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Cusco, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Cusco is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Cusco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cusco 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 Cusco.
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 Cusco 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.