Which place is cheaper, Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu?
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 Kathmandu. 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 Kathmandu?
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.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in the country of Nepal. Its metropolitan area forms one large urban area that includes the area of Patan to the south. As of 2011 there were 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu metropolis and over 3 million in the entire metropolitan area. Kathmandu is likely to be your entry point into Nepal and is a great place to pick up supplies and arrange the details for any treks you hope to do. Many travelers rush through Kathmandu, turned off by the pollution and crowds, but to skip Kathmandu is to miss a major cultural, financial, and influential part of what defines the country of Nepal. The city itself is quite fun to explore if you allow it enough time and an open mind.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesKathmandu Prices
Nepal Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133Kathmandu $54
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Kathmandu is $54. 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 Kathmandu in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Kathmandu $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Kathmandu $70
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Kathmandu
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Kathmandu? 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: Kathmandu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Kathmandu $6.04
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Nairobi National Park Game Drive Tour With Transfer: $95
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kathmandu
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Kathmandu:
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Taxi Ride$1.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kathmandu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kathmandu:
- Kathmandu - Arrival transfer from airport to hotel: $12
- Airport Transfers in Kathmandu – Pickup OR Drop-Off Service: $15
- Kathmandu Airport Private Transfer: Arrival or Departure Service: $15
- Kathmandu Airport Private Transfers: $16
- Kathmandu Airport Transfer — Private Pickup or Drop: $17
- Tribhuvan International Airport Transfer Service: $20
- Rent a Private Car with Driver for Kathmandu City Transfer: $25
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu International Airport to Hotel: $25
- Tribhuvan International Airport KTM Private Transfer to Kathmandu: $28
- Kathmandu to Pokhara or Pokhara to Kathmandu Private Transfer: $30
- Nagarkot to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car: $40
- Kathmandu to Namobuddha Transfer by Private AC Car One Way: $50
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Kathmandu?
Prices for flights to both Kathmandu 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 $57Kathmandu $13
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
- Kibera Slums Bomas of Kenya and Dinner at Carnivore Tour: $225
- Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275
Typical Food Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of dining costs in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Dessert$1.17
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Dinner for Two$2.61
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kathmandu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kathmandu.
- Saturday Hidden Kathmandu Walk and Food Tour: $10
- Local Foodie Food Tour around Durbar Square: $15
- Cultural Stay in Kathmandu and experience dinner with family: $18
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking & Momo-Making Class: $20
- Authentic Private Nepali Cooking Class in Kathmandu: $23
- Cook and Eat: Cooking Class in Kathmandu near Thamel: $24
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking Class: $30
- Best Nepali Cooking Class in Thamel with Local Market Trip: $30
- Secret Food Tour - Food Bites and Sights Kathmandu 14+ Tastings: $35
- Walking Food Tour in Hidden Local Eateries of Kathmandu: $36
- Kathmandu Kitchens Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $39
- Everest Eats Kathmandu Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $39
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Kathmandu $6.98
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
- Nairobi National Park Half Day Tour From Nairobi: $75
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $75
- Half-Day Private Cultural Tour to Bomas of Kenya: $75
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Full-Day Kiambethu Tea Farm Tour From Nairobi with Lunch: $90
- Giraffe Center and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Tour: $95
- Day tour to Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen Museum: $95
Typical Entertainment Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Monkey Temple for Two$1.30
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Patan Durbar Square Entrance for Two$3.26
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Swayambhunath Stupa$1.30
Tours and Activities in Kathmandu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kathmandu are as follows:
- Chandragiri Cable Car Ride and Monkey Temple Tour - Private/Group: $5.00
- Kathmandu Heritage Highlights: Best of Kathmandu Private Day Tour: $8.00
- Full Day 7 UNESCO Tour with Lunch - Private/Group: $8.00
- Kathmandu City Tour: UNESCO World Heritage Sites Private/Group: $8.00
- Chitwan to Pokhara Tourist Bus Sofa seater: $9.00
- Kathmandu to Chitwan Tourist Bus Tickets: $9.50
- Private sightseeing Day Tour | Top 4 UNESCO Heritage: $10
- Chitwan to Kathmandu Tourist Bus Tickets: $10
- Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Square Day Tour with Lunch.: $10
- Private Kathmandu Sightseeing Tour | UNESCO World Heritage sites: $10
- Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha Hike & Tour - Private/Group: $10
- Chitwan to Bandipur Tourist Bus Luxury Sofa Seater: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Kathmandu $4.97
Sample the Local Flavors in Kathmandu
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kathmandu:
- Bar Tour & Pub Crawl -Sip, Stroll, Repeat Thamel's Night: $75
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Kathmandu, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Kathmandu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu.
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 Kathmandu 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.