A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Masai Mara vs. Ocho Rios for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Masai Mara or Ocho Rios?

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 Ocho Rios. 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 Ocho Rios?

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.

Ocho Rios

Ocho Rios, or "Ochi" is a town located on the northeastern shore of Jamaica and is a popular hub for cruise ships. It is a great destination for tourists as it has many resorts and beautiful beaches.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, and The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya.


Which place is cheaper, Ocho Rios 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.

  • Masai Mara Prices
    Kenya Prices
    Ocho Rios Prices
    Jamaica Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Masai Mara $132
    Ocho Rios $85

The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Ocho Rios is $85. 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 Ocho Rios in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Masai Mara $37
    Ocho Rios $51
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Masai Mara $74
    Ocho Rios $102
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Ocho Rios

Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Ocho Rios? 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.

Hotels in Masai Mara


Hotels in Ocho Rios


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 Ocho Rios Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Masai Mara $47
    Ocho Rios $7.32

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ocho Rios

Also for Ocho Rios, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Ian Fleming Airport Transfer to Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay: $15
  • Montego Bay Airport (MBJ) Transfer One-Way or Round-Trip to Hotel: $16
  • Private Transfer to Mystic Mountain from Ocho Rios: $20
  • Private Round Trip Transfer to YAAMAN Adventure Park Ocho Rios: $27
  • Private Transfer to Konoko Falls Botanical Gardens: $27
  • Private Round Trip Transfer to Dunns River Climb and Zipline over the Falls! : $34
  • Private Round Trip Transfer for Jamaican Jerk at Scotchie's Ocho Rios: $36
  • Private Transfer to Beach Horse Back Ride and Swim: $40
  • Private Transfer to ATV dirt road Adventures.: $40
  • Runaway Bay Airport Transfer: $48
  • Round-Trip or Direct Private Airport Transfers to Runaway Bay: $50
  • Private Nightclub Tour with Transfer from Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay: $52

Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Ocho Rios?

Prices for flights to both Ocho Rios 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Masai Mara $57
    Ocho Rios $28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.

  • Carnivore experience Lunch Or Dinner (Optional Bomas of kenya ): $40

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Masai Mara $60
    Ocho Rios $15

Tours and Activities in Masai Mara

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:

  • Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225
  • Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
  • Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
  • Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
  • Fairview Coffee Farm Day Tour in Nairobi: $120
  • Full Day Tour Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center: $275
  • Giraffe Center Half-Day Guided Tour from Nairobi: $75
  • Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
  • Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
  • Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
  • Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
  • Nairobi Museum KICC Tower Kobe and Bomas of Kenya Day Tour: $115

Typical Entertainment Prices in Ocho Rios

For Ocho Rios, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Tour of Brimmer Hall Estate
    $11
  • Admission to Coyaba Gardens
    $5.27
  • Tour of Prospect Plantation
    $17

Tours and Activities in Ocho Rios

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ocho Rios.

  • Ocho Rios Shopping Tour : $21
  • Blue Hole Admission Fee Ticket: $25
  • Original Blue Hole St. Ann Ocho Rios Jamaica Admission Fee Ticket: $25
  • Ocho Rios City Bus Tour (Beach, Sightseeing & Shopping): $40
  • Skip-The-Line: Dunn's River Falls Adventure Tour from Ocho Rios: $40
  • Transportation to Horse Back Ride & Swim Adventure from Ocho Rios: $45
  • Luminous lagoon Private & Group tour from Runaway Bay: $45
  • Dunn's River Falls and Blue Hole Private Tour from Ocho Rios: $50
  • Shopping and Sightseeing Tour in Ocho Rios: $50
  • Jamaican Escapade Experience Dunn's River's Natural Majesty: $50
  • Blue hole waterfalls tour from Ocho Rios : $51
  • Private Ocho Rios highlights and beach day tour: $51

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Masai Mara $26
    Ocho Rios $7.43

Sample the Local Flavors in Ocho Rios

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Ocho Rios:

  • Bar Hopping, Pub Crawl, Shopping and Sightseeing Tour Ocho Rios: $100


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Ocho Rios, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Ocho Rios much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Ocho Rios is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Ocho Rios would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ocho Rios 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 Ocho Rios.

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 Ocho Rios Expensive?.