Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Marrakech?
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 Marrakech. 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 Marrakech?
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.
Marrakech
Marrakech is on of the most popular travel destinations in Morocco. It is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat and is located near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains only a few hours from the Sahara Desert. It's a beautiful city that is often referred to as the "Pink City" because of the pale pink color of many of the city's buildings. These striking colors make the city particularly beautiful during the evening hours when the low sun creates a very dramatic lighting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $111Marrakech $69
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $111, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $69. 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 Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $38Marrakech $46
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $76Marrakech $92
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Marrakech
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Marrakech? 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 Marrakech Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $48Marrakech $6.30
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Marrakech Airport Transfer: $5.01
- Marrakech Airport Transfer (ONE WAY pick-up OR/OU ONE WAY drop-off): $6.56
- Marrakech : Transfer privé vers ou depuis l'aéroport de Rak: $7.27
- Private Transfer : From Or To RAK airport: $7.38
- Marrakech : Private Transfer to/from RAK Airport: $7.38
- Marrakesh: 1-Way Private Transfer to Menara Airport: $7.49
- Marrakech : Private Transfer to/from RAK Airport: $8.14
- Private Transfer: from Marrakech Airport to your hotel: $8.16
- Transfer from Marrakech Airport to Marrakech City Centre: $8.74
- Private Transfer From or To Marrakesh Menara Airport RAK: $9.83
- Private Transfer Marrakech Menara Airport: $10
- Private Airport Transfers Home and Way: $10
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech 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 $34Marrakech $13
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
Typical Food Prices in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orange Juice on the Square$0.30
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Breakfast$1.20
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Dates$0.60
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Olives$0.90
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Sandwich$1.29
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Souvenir Spices$6.18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Agafay Desert Sunset, Camel Ride and Dinner from Marrakech: $15
- Online Moroccan Cooking Class: $17
- Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $19
- Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
- Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
- Typical Moroccan Dinner at the inhabitant in Marrakech: $22
- Marrakesh: Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with a Show and Transfers : $22
- Dinner Show in Agafay Desert with Quad Bike & Camels: $22
- Dinner Show Under stars in Agafay Desert with Sunset Camel Ride: $22
- Dinner in Desert Marrakech and Camel ride at Sunset: $23
- Magical Dinner & Agafay Desert ,Under The Stars: $24
- Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $61Marrakech $7.01
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- 1Day Tour Nairobi Park ,Giraffe Center,karen Blixxen Guided tour: $45
- 3-Days Maasai Mara Camping Safari on 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep: $285
- A day tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $52
- Amboseli Day Tour from Nairobi: $220
- Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
- Day tour to Hell's gate and optional boat ride at lake naivasha : $98
- Day trip - Lake Nakuru National Park Tour From Nairobi: $130
- Full Day Tour Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center: $275
- Giraffe Center, Elephant Orphanage, Beads Center & Bomas of Kenya Tour Nairobi: $115
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $35
- Half Day Tour Elephant Orphanage,Giraffe CenterKobe Beads Factory: $38
- Karen Blixen Museum & Giraffe Centre Half day tour: $90
Typical Entertainment Prices in Marrakech
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Palace Tickets$1.99
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Golf at Atlas Golf$56
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3-Hour Colorful Souks Tour: $5.00
- Marrakesh: Cactus Thiemann Entry Ticket: $8.24
- Atlas Mountains Tour with Camel Ride: $9.00
- Palmerai adventure on quad atv: $10
- Marrakech:Quad Tour in Palmeraie: $14
- Historical Marrakech Walking Tour: $15
- Full Day Hiking Tour to Atlas Mountains from Marrakech: $15
- Full Day Tour to Atlas Mountains in Imlil Valley: $15
- Marrakech Sightseeing Tour: $15
- Marrakech activities: Camel ride tour Marrakech: $15
- Essaouira 1 Day Tour From Marrakech: $16
- Anima Garden Admission Ticket: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $27Marrakech $15
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Marrakech, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Marrakech much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Marrakech would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Marrakech 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 Marrakech.
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 Marrakech 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.