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

Should you visit Masai Mara or Porto?

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 Porto. 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 Porto?

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.

Porto

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. It is also the capital of the Northern Region and a hub for commercial and industrial activity. The city is not as large as you might expect, with a population of only about 300,000 residents, but the metropolitan area has a population of about 2.5 million. This includes nearby cities such as Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal.


Which place is cheaper, Porto 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 $132, while the average daily cost in Porto is $187. 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 Porto in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Masai Mara $37
    Porto $84
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Masai Mara $74
    Porto $168
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Porto

Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Porto? 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 Porto


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 Porto Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Masai Mara $47
    Porto $24

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 Porto

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

  • Porto Airport: Transfer to/from Valenca Do Minho Station: $12
  • Madeira: Vereda do Larano Trail One-Way Transfer Service: $23
  • Porto Airport Transfer: $24
  • Transfer Oporto - Aeroport / Up to 4 passengers: $30
  • Madeira: Porto da Cruz to Machico Hiking Tour with Transfer: $39
  • Service Transfer Airport to Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia: $64
  • Funchal to Porto Moniz: Volcanic Pools Day Transfer: $70
  • Private Transfer to Porto from Tarouca: $135
  • Private Transfer to Lisbon from Tarouca: $293
  • Private transfer between Porto and Algarve with 1 stop: $558

Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Porto?

Prices for flights to both Porto 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
    Porto $74

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

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Porto

For Porto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Porto Food & Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner Option: $94

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Masai Mara $60
    Porto $30

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

Tours and Activities in Porto

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

  • Porto Six Bridges Panoramic Cruise on the Douro River: $21
  • Experience Porto's Charm: 3-Hour Guided Walking Tour: $35
  • Porto Sunset River Cruise: Douro Magic at Dusk: $35
  • Douro River Boat Cruise with Port Wine and Snacks: $48
  • Porto Douro River Sightseeing Sailing Cruise at Sunset or Daytime: $48
  • 3-Hour Porto Highlights on a Electric Bike Guided Tour: $52
  • Tour on the Douro River in a Classic Boat: $54
  • Sunset or Daytime, Charming Sailboat Cruise on the Douro River: $54
  • 6 Bridges cruise , Douro river with sunset option: $54
  • Aveiro and Costa Nova Half Day Tour from Porto with Boat Ride: $55
  • Luxury Yacht Tour on the Douro River - Sunset or Daytime: $58
  • Fun Private Tuk Tuk Tour: $66

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Masai Mara $26
    Porto $22

Sample the Local Flavors in Porto

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:

  • Luxury Yacht Cruise with Wine Tasting & Snacks: $54
  • Port Wine Tour | 3 Cellars | 7 Tastings | 12 Participants Maximum: $60
  • Port Wine Lodges Tour Including 7 Port Wine Tastings (English): $62
  • Authentic Food and Wine Tour in Porto by Food Lover Tour: $81
  • Douro Valley Tour: Wine Tasting, Cruise and Lunch from Porto : $96
  • Douro Valley Wine Tour: 3 Vineyard Visits, Wine Tastings, Lunch: $113
  • Complete Douro Valley Wine Tour with Lunch, Wine Tastings and River Cruise: $118
  • Douro Valley Half-Day Wine Tour with Winery and Lunch From Porto: $131
  • Authentic Small Group Douro Wine Tour with Lunch & River Cruise: $131
  • Small Group Douro Valley Wine Tour with Lunch and Cruise: $149
  • Douro Valley Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting, Lunch and Boat: $150
  • Douro Valley Tour - 3 Wine tastings, Lunch & river Cruise: $152


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