Which place is cheaper, Rome 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 Rome?
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 Rome. 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 Rome?
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.
Rome
Rome is the kind of city that refuses to stay in the past, even though history is everywhere you look. Ancient ruins rise beside buzzing cafes, scooters zip past Renaissance palaces, and quiet cobblestone lanes suddenly open onto grand piazzas filled with fountains, churches, and street performers. It is a city of layers: the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, neighborhood trattorias, stylish boutiques, and late-night gelato walks all woven together into one unforgettable experience. Whether you come for the art, the food, the history, or the simple pleasure of wandering without a plan, Rome has a way of making every day feel like a discovery.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesRome Prices
Italy Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $132Rome $236
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Rome is $236. 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 Rome in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Rome $103
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Rome $206
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Rome
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Rome? 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: Rome Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Rome $24
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 Rome
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:
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Metro Ride (for Two)$2.28
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Train to the Airport$17
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Taxi to Airport$51
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Bicycle Rental (Full Day)$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
- Bus Transfer from Fiumicino Airport to Vatican City: $6.87
- Transfer Rome center - Fiumicino airport: $8.02
- Transfer Fiumicino Airport - Rome City Centre: $8.02
- Transfer Fiumicino Airport from/to Vaticano shuttle bus: $9.16
- Transfer Rome center - Ciampino Airport: $9.16
- Bus Transfer from Rome to Milan or Vice Versa: $9.42
- Transfer from Rome to Castel Romano Designer Outlet: $23
- FCO Airport Private Transfer to/from Downtown/Civitavecchia: $30
- Transfer from Civitavecchia by train with Rome HopOnHopOff Option: $31
- Rome’s Bone Chapel with Audioguide App and Panoramic Bus Transfer: $44
- Bus transfer from Civitavecchia to Rome and vice versa,: $45
- Private transfers in the city of Rome (one way): $46
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Rome?
Prices for flights to both Rome 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 $57Rome $95
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 Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$16
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4 Ice Cream Sandwiches$3.40
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Cafe e doce$4.55
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Pizza (Fast Food)$3.02
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$36
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Cheese and bread$11
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Espresso$2.28
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Dinner$66
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
- Rome Pasta & Tiramisu Making Class & Fine Wine by Cooking Italy: $40
- Rome Pizza & Gelato Class with Wine by Cooking Italy: $40
- Rome Food Tour for Breakfast Lovers: $40
- Rome Early Morning Breakfast and Sightseeing Food Tour: $45
- Rome Ultimate Food Tour Trastevere Tiber Island & Campo de' Fiori: $45
- Rome in the Evening Bike / E-Bike Tour with optional Dinner: $45
- Rome Pizza Making Class for Families in Trastevere: $45
- Milan Street Food Tour and City Guided Sightseeing: $45
- Authentic Gnocchi Cooking Class in Rome - Piazza Navona: $46
- Fettuccine Pasta Cooking Class in Rome City Center: $46
- Pesto and Pasta Cooking Class in Rome City Center: $48
- Rome Street Food Tour: Eat Like a Local: $49
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Rome $41
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Rome
Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)$79
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Coliseum Tickets (for Two)$38
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Roma Pass$34
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Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)$23
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Segway Tour$85
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Rome Best Kept Secrets: Self-Guided City Tour: $2.26
- Rome Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $3.42
- Walking tour with Archaeologist: $3.42
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Rome: $4.57
- Highlights of Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere Walking Tour: $4.58
- Audio guided tour of the historic center of Rome: $4.58
- Experience Rome Trevi Fountain with Ticket: $4.58
- Tour of Rome to Visit the Most Iconic Monuments: $5.00
- Rome:Pantheon Entry Ticket with Hosted Experience and Audio Guide: $5.38
- Pantheon Rome Timed Entry Ticket and optional Minerva: $5.73
- Audio Guided Archaeological Colosseum Tour in Rome: $5.99
- St. Peter's Basilica Rome Audio Tour Experience: $5.99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Rome $21
Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:
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Bottle of Wine$7.40
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Pint of Beer$7.22
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Beer$11
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:
- Rome Pub Crawl in the Old Town: $22
- Discover Frascati Wine Tasting with a Sommelier and Snacks: $27
- Rome [4in1] Pasta Making_Tiramisù_Wine Tasting_Secret Cellar: $33
- Cabaret and Burlesque Show at Rome: $34
- Frascati Wine Tasting Experience with Food Pairing: $46
- Wine Tasting in Trastevere with Food and Gelato: $48
- Experience Rome Exclusive Wine Tasting in City Center: $55
- Rome Wine Tasting in Monte dei Cocci | Authentic Lazio Wines: $56
- Guided Wine Tasting Experience in a Roman Vineyard: $56
- Small-Group Exclusive Winery and Wine Tasting Tour in Frascati: $63
- Rome Nightlife Party Tour Monti Bar Crawl and Local Drinks: $65
- Rome Night Tipsy Tour & Bar Crawl with Forbidden History: $68
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Rome, we can see that Rome 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 Rome 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 Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome 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 Rome 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.