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

Should you visit Masai Mara or Oslo?

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 Oslo. 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 Oslo?

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.

Oslo

Oslo is not only the largest city in Norway, and also its capital. It also holds the title as the most expensive city in the world. Oslo is a unique capital city in that its boundaries include much forest and wildlife. The city itself is nestled in an amphitheater type setting. The city's core is in the bottom by the fjord, and the residential areas stretch uphill away from the downtown area.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Polar Tours & Cruises in Norway, and The Best Northern Lights Tours in Norway.


Which place is cheaper, Oslo 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.

The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Oslo is $161. 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 Oslo in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Masai Mara $37
    Oslo $79
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Masai Mara $74
    Oslo $158
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Oslo

Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Oslo? 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 Oslo


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 Oslo Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Masai Mara $47
    Oslo $23

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 Oslo

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Oslo are as follows:


  • Tram Ticket
    $7.78

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Oslo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Oslo:

  • Oslo hotels to Oslo Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $71
  • Private Transfer from Oslo hotels to Oslo Cruise Port: $71
  • Oslo Cruise Port to Oslo hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $71
  • Private Direct Transfer From Oslo to Drammen: $90
  • Departure Private Transfer from Oslo to Oslo Airport OSL by Business Car: $128
  • Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) to Oslo - Arrival Private Transfer: $136
  • Oslo Cruise Port to Oslo Airport (OSL) - Departure Private Transfer: $136
  • Private Transfer from Olso Airport to Olso Hotels: $142
  • Oslo Cruise Port to Oslo hotels- Round-Trip Private Transfer: $142
  • Airport & City Transfers in Trondheim: $142
  • Oslo Airport Hotel Transfer Service English Speaking: $146
  • Private Transfer From Oslo To Drammen With a 2 Hour Stop: $153

Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Oslo?

Prices for flights to both Oslo 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
    Oslo $56

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Oslo

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

  • Oslofjord Dinner Cruise on a sailing ship: $81
  • Private Chef Forest Dinner: Authentic Norwegian Food Tour in Oslo: $129
  • Oslo fjord 3-Course Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $161
  • Oslo Guided Food Tour with 5 Food Tastings and a Secret Dish: $165
  • Norwegian Food Tour & Hidden Gems City Walk: $189

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Masai Mara $60
    Oslo $16

Tours and Activities in Masai Mara

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

  • Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
  • David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $55
  • Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
  • Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
  • Giraffe Center Guided Tour from Nairobi: $65
  • Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $70
  • Giraffe Center and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Tour: $72
  • Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
  • Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
  • Nairobi National Park Guided Day Tour From Nairobi: $95
  • Day tour to Giraffe center and Karen Blixen Nairobi: $95
  • Tour to Fairview Coffee Farm Tour with Coffee Testing: $98

Tours and Activities in Oslo

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

  • A Self-Guided Tour of Oslo's Waterfront: $7.99
  • Vigeland Alien Threat in Oslo Exploration Game and Tour: $8.24
  • Digging up the Past in Røros: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $8.99
  • Oslo City - Self Guided Audio Tour: $16
  • Central Oslo Guided Walking Tour with Local Guide: $17
  • Oslo City Tour and Local Secrets Guide: $18
  • The Fram Museum Admission Ticket: $19
  • Best of Oslo Guided Walking Tour: $38
  • Oslo Fjord Island Hopping Hovedoya Tour: $38
  • The Grand Oslo Ride: E-bike Experience: $45
  • Oslo Shore Excursion: City Sightseeing Oslo Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $46
  • City Sightseeing Oslo Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $46

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Masai Mara $26
    Oslo $9.81


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Oslo, we can see that Oslo 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 Oslo 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 Oslo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Oslo 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 Oslo Expensive?.