Which place is cheaper, Pretoria or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Pretoria?
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 Pretoria. 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 Pretoria?
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.
Pretoria
Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Wildlife Tours to South Africa, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $109Pretoria $54
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $109, while the average daily cost in Pretoria is $54. 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 Pretoria in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Pretoria $27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Pretoria $54
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Pretoria
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Pretoria? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $48Pretoria $13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Airport Transfers: $40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Oneway Transfer from Johannesburg to Johannesburg Airport: $33
- Shuttle and Transfers to Johannesburg and Pretoria: $47
- Pretoria to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) - Departure Private Transfer: $57
- Sun City & Pilanesberg Transfers: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Pretoria?
Prices for flights to both Pretoria 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 $33Pretoria $16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $112
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $61Pretoria $16
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: $50
- 5 hours Nairobi national park Private tour: $150
- Kibera Slum Guided Tour from Nairobi: $97
- 2-Hour Private Tour in Giraffe Centre in Nairobi: $44
- 3-Days Maasai Mara Camping Safari on 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep: $285
- 5 Hour Private Tour Nairobi National Park Or Evening Game Drive: $100
- Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225
- Amboseli National Park Day Tour from Nairobi: $150
- Day Tour To Hells Gate and optional boat ride at Lake Naivasha: $120
- Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
- Day Tour at Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Centre: $62
- Day Tour to Amboseli National park and Masai Village Tour: $190
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Dino Trail: Dino Kingdom Admission Ticket: $14
- Soweto walking tour with a taxi ride: $29
- History Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $42
- Rietvlei Nature Reserve half-day tour from Pretoria, every TUESDAY: $48
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $54
- Johannesburg guided city tour: $56
- Pretoria Capital City Tour from Pretoria, every TUESDAY: $58
- Private local authentic soweto Moto taxi experience : $58
- Johannesburg and Soweto guided tour: $59
- Johannesburg Walking Tours: $59
- Soweto & Johannesburg - walking, Bike , E-scooter, Tuk Tuk Tour : $62
- Pretoria Tour-Voortrekker Monument, Town, Union Buildings: $63
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Pretoria $34
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Pretoria, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Pretoria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Pretoria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pretoria 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 Pretoria.
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 Pretoria 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.