Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Johannesburg?
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 Johannesburg. 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 Johannesburg?
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.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, and The Best Eco Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $111Johannesburg $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $111, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $94. 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 Johannesburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $38Johannesburg $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $76Johannesburg $108
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Johannesburg
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Johannesburg? 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 Johannesburg Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $48Johannesburg $16
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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- 1-3 Passenger Private Johannesburg - Airport Transfer: $34
- Johannesburg Airport JNB to Johannesburg Hotels Arrival Transfer: $35
- Johannesburg to Johannesburg Airport (JNB) Departure Transfer: $35
- Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) to Johannesburg - Arrival Private Transfer: $35
- OR Tambo Private Airport to Hotel and Hotel to Airport Transfers : $42
- Johannesburg Airport Private Transfers: Departures (Hotel Pickup): $43
- Private Airport Transfer from OR Tambo Airport to Lesedi Village: $45
- OR Tambo Airport Transfers Around Johannesburg: $46
- Luxury Car Johannesburg Airport Private Transfer: $51
- Johannesburg Airport Transfers: $53
- Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) to Pretoria - Arrival Private Transfer: $56
- Arrival Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Business Car: $61
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Johannesburg?
Prices for flights to both Johannesburg 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 $34Johannesburg $17
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 Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
- Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $40
- Taste of Africa Food Tour: $51
- A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $96
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $213
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $61Johannesburg $21
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: $35
- Half Day Tour Elephant Orphanage,Giraffe CenterKobe Beads Factory: $38
- 1Day Tour Nairobi Park ,Giraffe Center,karen Blixxen Guided tour: $45
- A day tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $52
- Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
- Nairobi City Tour: $68
- Lake Nakuru National Park; Admission Ticket: $75
- Lake Nakuru National Park Day Tour from Nairobi: $75
- Karen Blixen Museum & Giraffe Centre Half day tour: $90
- Day tour to Hell's gate and optional boat ride at lake naivasha : $98
- Giraffe Center, Elephant Orphanage, Beads Center & Bomas of Kenya Tour Nairobi: $115
- Day trip - Lake Nakuru National Park Tour From Nairobi: $130
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Johannesburg Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Jo'burg Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Apartheid Museum & Soweto: $16
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour: $16
- Architectural Walking Tour: $19
- Braamfontein Street Art Tour: $24
- Soweto: Hector Pieterson Memorial, to Orlando Towers Tour: $24
- Maboneng Street Art & Culture Tour: $27
- Soweto: Bike Tour with a Local Tour Guide: $29
- Colours of A Graffiti & Street Art Tour: $29
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $29
- Johannesburg Street Art & Museum Walking or E-scooter Tour : $29
- A Day Of Soweto Food & Beer Tour: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $27Johannesburg $4.65
Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:
- Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $8.02
- Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $111
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $225
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Johannesburg, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Johannesburg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Johannesburg would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg.
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 Johannesburg 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.