Which place is cheaper, Madrid 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 Madrid?
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 Madrid. 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 Madrid?
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.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
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 Barcelona, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesMadrid Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133Madrid $188
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Madrid is $188. 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 Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Madrid $90
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Madrid $180
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Madrid
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Madrid? 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 Madrid Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Madrid $21
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 Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- MAD Airport Private Transfer to/from Madrid City Center: $23
- Private transfer from Atocha Station to Madrid city center: $26
- Transfer: Barajas Airport (MAD) to Madrid City Center: $31
- Madrid Barajas Airport Private Transfer To Madrid City: $34
- Seamless Madrid Airport Transfer One Way or Round Trip Options: $41
- Madrid Airport (MAD) to Madrid - Arrival Private Transfer: $43
- Madrid to Madrid Airport (MAD) - Departure Private Transfer: $43
- Madrid Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $50
- Private Transfers Madrid Airport to Central Madrid: $51
- One Way Private Transfer to or from Madrid: $57
- Private Transfer from San Vicente del Raspeig to Alicante–Elche (ALC) Airport: $63
- Private Transfer from Novelda to Alicante–Elche (ALC) Airport: $63
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid 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 $57Madrid $69
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
- Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275
Typical Food Prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
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Coffee$2.33
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Ice Cream$3.49
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Kebabs (for 2)$18
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Croissant$1.75
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Lunch at Airport (for 2)$18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Murder Mystery Dinner Experience: $76
- 10 Tapas Cooking Class Experience in Madrid with Sangria: $80
- Madrid Luxury Evening Food Tour In the Vibrant La Latina District: $82
- Traditional Cooking Class of Sardines with Dish Auction in Madrid: $82
- Madrid Tapas & Wine Tasting Food Tour – Small Group Local Bars: $91
- Madrid Ultimate Spanish Cuisine Food Tour: $94
- Spanish Cooking Class Paella Tapas and Sangria in Madrid: $101
- Madrid Food Tour in a Neighborhood Market with Churros: $105
- Tapas & Paella Cooking Class in Madrid with a Professional Chef: $105
- The Best Flamenco in Madrid Show with Dinner and Drink: $112
- Literary Quarter Tour and Paella Cooking Class in Madrid: $124
- Paella Cooking Class in Madrid with Bottomless Wine Pairing: $141
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Madrid $38
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Amboseli N Park Day tour with optional Maasai village visit: $200
- Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $55
- Day Tour to Amboseli National Park: $300
- Day Tour to Maasai Mara Reserve From Nairobi: $225
- Day tour to Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen Museum: $95
- Day tour to Giraffe center and Karen Blixen Nairobi: $95
- Full day Crescent Island and Hell's Gate Park Cycling Tour: $295
- Full-Day Bird Watching Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $195
- Giraffe Center Guided Tour from Nairobi: $65
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
- Walking Tour of Madrid Modern: $3.54
- Malasaña and Chueca A Tour That Shouts Freedom: $3.54
- Self Guided Walking City Tour in Madrid: $3.54
- Self-Guided Tours In Madrid With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.54
- Tuk Tuk Tour of the Best of Madrid (booking only): $3.54
- Madrid - Medieval to Modern Walking Tour (English): $3.55
- Madrid Mountains Free Walking Tour: $3.55
- "Prado Museum" Tour A Treasure of World Art: $3.55
- Madrid City Highlights Walking Tour: $4.73
- Madrid Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.18
- Madrid (Historical Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $5.18
- Madrid Essential : Self-Guided Tour created by local Official Guide: $5.92
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Madrid $23
Typical Alcohol Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
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Beer$5.82
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Drinks and Tapas (for 2)$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
- Visit to the Winery with Wine Tasting and Appetizers in Navarra: $12
- Wine Tour with tasting in the Natural Park of La Mata: $38
- Rooftop Bar Crawl Madrid Experience: $77
- Spanish Wine Tasting : $90
- Old Madrid Tapas & Wine Tasting Tour - Real Small Groups 8 Max: $99
- Eating Not Just Another Tapas and Wine Tour: $115
- Madrid Tapas & Wine Tour with Rooftop Views and Local Guide: $116
- Toledo Tour & Vineyard Experience with Wine Tasting from Madrid: $130
- Madrid Wine Tour with Winery Visit & Wine Tasting: $130
- Local Tapas, Beer and Wine Tour of Madrid All Inclusive: $136
- Madrid The Original Tapas & Wine Tasting Tour: $139
- Malasaña Small Group Tapas Tour with Wine Tasting: $141
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. And not only is Masai Mara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Madrid is in Europe, 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 Masai Mara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Masai Mara 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 Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Masai Mara.
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 Madrid 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.