Which place is cheaper, Hanoi 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 Hanoi?
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 Hanoi. 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 Hanoi?
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.
Hanoi
Hanoi is the chaotic capital of Vietnam, and it serves as a great introduction to the country for many travelers. It's the second largest city in the country after Saigon and is an interesting combination of East meets West. There's traditional Vietnamese culture with subtle influences brought by the French. The city continues to grow and change rapidly and it's easy to get lost amidst the chaos.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Adventure Tours to Vietnam, and The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesHanoi Prices
Vietnam Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133Hanoi $57
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Hanoi is $57. 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 Hanoi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Hanoi $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Hanoi $50
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Hanoi
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Hanoi? 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: Hanoi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $48Hanoi $6.56
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 Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Hanoi:
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Taxi to Bus Station$1.14
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Shuttle Bus From Airport (for Two)$3.04
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Local Bus Ride (for Two)$0.38
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Short Taxi Ride$1.29
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Short Motorbike Ride (10 Minutes)$0.76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hanoi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hanoi:
- Private Transfer from Noi Bai Airport to your Hotel: $7.40
- Private Transfer: Hanoi Airport - Sapa - Halong - Ninh Binh: $7.90
- Hanoi Airport One Way Private Transfer HAN to Hanoi City Center: $8.00
- Hanoi Private Departure Transfer: City Center Hotel to Airport: $8.11
- Noi Bai Airport Transfer Service: $8.54
- Budget Shared Transfer Noi Bai Airport HAN to Hanoi Hotels: $9.99
- Noi Bai Airport transfer to Hanoi Hotel & Vice versa: $10
- Hanoi City Transfer to Noi Bai Airport & Vice Versa_Private Car: $10
- Hanoi Airport Departure Shared Transfer: $10
- Hanoi Private Transfer: Hanoi Airport - City - Halong - Ninh Binh: $11
- Bus Transfer Hanoi to Halong Bay and Vice Versa: $11
- Private car transfer from Hanoi Airport to Hotels: $12
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Hanoi?
Prices for flights to both Hanoi 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 $57Hanoi $23
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
- Chiyo Japanese and Korean Restaurant Dinner with Cat Dance Show: $155
Typical Food Prices in Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hanoi:
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High End Dinner (for Two)$11
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.18
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Bowl of Pho$0.76
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Italian Dinner (for Food)$5.89
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hanoi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hanoi.
- Private Sapa Cooking Class With Ethnic Minorities Chef From Sapa: $1.87
- Private Hanoi Cycling Sightseeing & Street Food Tour By Bike: $1.87
- Private Hanoi Old Quarter Street Food Tour with Student Guide: $1.87
- (Group/Individual) HANOI STREET FOOD TOUR: $5.13
- Hanoi Walking Street Food Tour with Train-Street Visit: $18
- Hanoi Cooking Class: Pho/Bun Cha/Banh Xeo...+Free Egg/Salt Coffee: $19
- Hanoi Street Food Tour: Hidden Local Eats & Full Meal Experience: $19
- Hanoi Farm-to-Table Cooking Class with Village Cycling: $20
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with Train Street Visit: $20
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with egg coffee making: $20
- Hanoi local street food tour: $20
- Hanoi Street Food Tour: $23
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Hanoi $8.10
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- 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
- Nairobi full day shopping tour: $65
- Giraffe Center and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Tour: $72
- Half-Day Private Cultural Tour to Bomas of Kenya: $75
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $75
- Nairobi National Park Half Day Tour From Nairobi: $75
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Nairobi City and Culture Tour with Bomas Of Kenya Visit: $90
- Full-Day Kiambethu Tea Farm Tour From Nairobi with Lunch: $90
Typical Entertainment Prices in Hanoi
Here are a few typical costs in Hanoi for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Puppet Theater$1.52
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The Hanoi Hilton Entrance$1.52
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National History Museum$1.52
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Puppet Theater Ticket$2.66
Tours and Activities in Hanoi
Here are a few actual costs in Hanoi for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Hanoi Old Quarter City Sightseeing Cycling Private Tour By Cyclo: $1.79
- 2-4 Day Ha Giang Loop Motorbike Tour with Easy Rider, Sleeper Bus: $1.87
- Hanoi Old Quarter City Sightseeing Walking Tour With Funny Guide: $1.87
- 2-Day Mai Chau & Pu Luong Adventure: Cycling, Trekking, Rafting: $1.87
- Full-Day Mai Chau Valley Tour from Hanoi with Cycling, Culture: $1.87
- Ninh Binh Private Tour: Tam Coc, Bich Dong, Thung Nham Bird Park: $1.87
- Sapa Cat Cat Village, Y Linh Ho Tour By Motorbike Or Walking: $1.87
- Sapa Herbal Incense Handicrafts Making Workshop Tour From Sapa: $1.87
- Hanoi City Private Tour With Street Food Experience & Aquarium: $1.87
- From Sapa Trek, Cat Cat Village & Fansipan Summit Tour: $1.87
- Hanoi Quang Phu Cau Incense Village Tour With Coffee Train Street: $1.87
- 2-Day Ninh Binh Adventure: Trang An, Tam Coc, Hoa Lu & Mua Cave: $1.87
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Hanoi $7.33
Sample the Local Flavors in Hanoi
Also in Hanoi, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Hanoi Night Bar Crawl with Local Guide & Free Shots: $40
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Hanoi, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Hanoi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Hanoi is in Asia, 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 Hanoi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Hanoi 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 Hanoi.
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 Hanoi 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.