Which place is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro 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.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Rio de Janeiro?
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 Rio de Janeiro. 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 Rio de Janeiro?
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.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. It's also famous for Carnival, it's gorgeous beaches, and world-famous landmarks. Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year round due to the great weather and plenty of fun activities. The city has a wonderful natural harbor that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Jungle Trekking Tours in Brazil, and The Best Luxury Tours to Brazil.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesRio de Janeiro Prices
Brazil Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $132Rio de Janeiro $118
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Rio de Janeiro is $118. 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 Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Rio de Janeiro $65
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Rio de Janeiro $130
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Rio de Janeiro
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Rio de Janeiro? 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: Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Rio de Janeiro $7.83
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Nairobi National Park Game Drive Tour With Transfer: $95
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
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Taxi Ride$2.88
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- Private Transfer to Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU): $16
- Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU): $16
- Private Transfer to Rio de Janeiro Airport (GIG): $18
- Transfer from Santos Dumont Airport to Zona Sul Rio: $26
- Private Transfer Economic GIG / SDU up to 4 pax to South Zone: $26
- Rio Airport to Hotel Shared Transfer: $27
- Private transfer Minivan GIG Rio Galeao airport up to 6 pax to Zona Sul: $28
- Transfer from Rio de Janeiro Galeao International Airport: $31
- Roundtrip Private Transfer Rio de Janeiro Airport (SDU): $31
- Private One Way Airport Transfer Rio to Galeao Airport: $35
- Roundtrip Private Transfer Rio de Janeiro Airport (GIG): $35
- Private Departure Transfer from Rio de Janeiro cruise port to RIOgaleão Airport: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro 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 $57Rio de Janeiro $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Nairobi Nightlife and Safari Park Hotel Dinner with Pick Up: $125
- Kibera Slums Bomas of Kenya and Dinner at Carnivore Tour: $225
- Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
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Popcorn$0.58
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Corn on the Cob$0.77
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Hamburger$0.96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
- Rio de Janeiro Food Tour: Ipanema Life, Botecos & Caipirinha: $48
- Rio de Janeiro Market Food Tour and Local Tasting Experience: $69
- Rio de Janeiro Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $79
- Roxy Dinner Show: That Embrace Show: $80
- Rio de Janeiro Food Tour with Francesca in Santa Teresa: $80
- Brazilian Churrascaria Guided Dinner in Rio with Wine Pairing: $89
- Rio Roots Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $89
- Food Tour Rio de Janeiro - The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes: $92
- Carioca Kitchens Rio de Janeiro Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $95
- Cooking Class in Rio with 9 Recipes & Unlimited Caipirinhas: $95
- Roxy Show - Brazilian Rhythms with optional Barbecue Dinner: $103
- Ginga Tropical Folklore Show with Optional Dinner and Transfers: $107
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Rio de Janeiro $21
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
- Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
- Nairobi: Private Cultural Tour to Bomas of Kenya: $60
- Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Nairobi full day shopping tour: $65
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $75
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Nairobi City Tour with Bomas Of Kenya Visit: $90
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center Guided Day Tour: $95
- Giraffe Center and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Tour: $95
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Discover A Guided Tour: $1.12
- Rio de Janeiro Urca Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.04
- Ipanema Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $5.07
- Self Guided Podcast Tour The Soul of Rio: $5.49
- Rio de Janeiro Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Story of Bossanova: Rhythm and soul of Rio: $6.72
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Imperial Rio: $6.72
- Rio de Janeiro Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h00 and 24 reviews: $7.42
- A Self-Guided Black History Audio Tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Little Africa: $12
- Electric Bike Tour: $16
- Self-Guided Tour of Rio's Journey from Colonialism to Democracy: $20
- Authentic Rocinha Favela Walking Experience with a Local Guide: $20
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Rio de Janeiro $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
- Lapa by Night: Samba, Cachaça & The Ultimate Rio Pub Crawl: $30
- Rio Pub Crawl with Caipirinhas & Bar Bites: $95
- Petrópolis City and Brewery Bohemia Tour - Best of Rio's Mountains: $110
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $179
When comparing the travel costs between Masai Mara and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Masai Mara is in Africa and Rio de Janeiro is in South America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
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 Rio de Janeiro 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.