Which place is cheaper, San Jose 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 San Jose?
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 San Jose. 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 San Jose?
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.
San Jose
San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesSan Jose Prices
Costa Rica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133San Jose $115
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in San Jose is $115. 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 San Jose in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37San Jose $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74San Jose $108
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and San Jose
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or San Jose? 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: San Jose Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47San Jose $22
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 San Jose
Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:
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Taxi from SJO$28
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Local Bus$3.04
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer to San Jose Airport (SJO): $26
- Private Transfer from San Jose Airport (SJO): $26
- Private One-way Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport to San Jose: $43
- Private Transfer from San Jose to La Fortuna de Arenal: $46
- Transfer from San Jose to Arenal-La Fortuna San Carlos: $48
- Arrival Transfer San Jose Airport SJO to San Jose City by Minivan: $50
- Private San José Airport Transfer to San José Hotels: $50
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from San Jose Airport (SJO): $53
- Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) to San Jose – Private Transfer: $57
- Private transfer from SJO Intl Airport to downtown Hotels: $65
- Private Airport Transfer Liberia Costa Rica – Stress Free!: $65
- Transfer 1 to 6 Pax Juan Santamaria Airport to SJO Hotels: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or San Jose?
Prices for flights to both San Jose 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 $57San Jose $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 Private Carnivore Dinner Experience: $125
- Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Jose
For San Jose, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Street Food Tour in San Jose with a Local Guide: $35
- Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets: $35
- San Jose By Night: Farm to Table Dinner & Cocktail Class: $49
- San José Market-to-Table Tour: Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $68
- Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $80
- Dinner + Typical dance show at the best viewpoint in San José: $92
- City Tour and Dinner at the Best Lookout in San Jose: $149
- Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $185
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60San Jose $23
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Amboseli N Park Day tour with optional Maasai village visit: $200
- Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $55
- Day Tour to Amboseli National Park: $300
- Day Tour to Maasai Mara Reserve From Nairobi: $225
- Day tour to Giraffe center and Karen Blixen Nairobi: $95
- Giraffe Center Guided Tour from Nairobi: $65
- Giraffe Center and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Tour: $72
- Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
Tours and Activities in San Jose
For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self Guided Audio Walking Tour of San Jose Highlights: $5.50
- Hiking Experience in El Quetzal Private Reserve: $26
- Ticket to Tenorio Volcano National Park: $28
- Private Guided Tour of Cheese in Canaan de Rivas: $30
- Hacienda Alsacia Starbucks Coffe Tour: $31
- Britt Classic Coffee Tour: $31
- Poas Volcano National Park - Admission Ticket: $32
- San Jose Highlights Walking Tour with a Guide: $34
- Historical Tour and Old Houses by Dota: $35
- Rainforest Day Experience Day Tour in Costa Rica: $35
- San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees: $35
- San Jose Birdwatching Nature and Cultural Experience: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26San Jose $18
Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:
- Bar Crawl in Downtown San Jose: $40
- Wine Tour and Tasting: $95
- Bar Crawl in San Jose in a Deluxe Party Bus: $100
When comparing the travel costs between Masai Mara and San Jose, 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 San Jose is in Central 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 San Jose 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.