Which place is cheaper, Sydney 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 Sydney?
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 Sydney. 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 Sydney?
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.
Sydney
Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesSydney Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $132Sydney $207
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Sydney is $207. 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 Sydney in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Sydney $103
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Sydney $206
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Sydney
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Sydney? 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 and Sydney Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Sydney $15
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 Sydney
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:
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Taxi Ride$13
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Taxi to Airport$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:
- Transfer Between Airport & Hotels or Cruise Terminal: $13
- Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD shared ride seat in vehicle shuttle transfer: $13
- Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport: Shared Transfer to Sydney CBD: $22
- Shuttle Transfer from Cruise Ship Terminal at Circular Quay to Sydney Airport: $24
- Shuttle Transfer from Sydney City Hotel or Cruise Port to Sydney Airport: $24
- Shuttle Transfer from Sydney Airport to Cruise Ship Terminal at Circular Quay: $25
- Sydney Arrival Transfer: Airport to City or Overseas Passenger Terminal: $25
- Transfer from White Bay Cruise Terminal to Sydney Airport: $27
- Sydney Airport to White Bay Port transfer: $27
- Sydney Port Private Arrival Transfer: Cruise Port to City: $30
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel or Cruise Port to Sydney Airport: $36
- Sydney Airport Vip Transfer to city: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Sydney?
Prices for flights to both Sydney 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 $57Sydney $77
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
Typical Food Prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:
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Tea$2.62
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Lunch Special$9.81
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Food/Drink Coogie Beach$9.81
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Meat Pies$3.27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sydney.
- Vivid Festival of Light Harbor Cruise with Dinner: $36
- City Highlights Walking Food Tour with Harbor Cruise: $45
- Roti Making Class with 5-Course Dinner: $50
- Harbour Dinner Cruise with Buffet: $50
- Sydney Harbour Discovery Dinner Cruise Scenic Sights and Buffet: $50
- Foraging Food Tour Sydney Native Aussie Food: $53
- Sydney's Little Italy Food Tour: $54
- Harbor Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $59
- Twilight Dinner Cruise on Coral Trekker: $59
- Sydney Harbour Tall Ship Twilight Dinner Cruise: $60
- Taste of Sydney Fish Market Food Tour: $64
- Kids Cooking Classes: $64
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Sydney $31
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
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Giraffe Center Half-Day Guided Tour from Nairobi: $75
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Ngong Hills Adventure from Nairobi: $85
- Private Day Tour to Nairobi Arboretum and Nairobi National Museum: $109
- Nairobi Museum KICC Tower Kobe and Bomas of Kenya Day Tour: $115
- Fairview Coffee Farm Day Tour in Nairobi: $120
- Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
- Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225
Typical Entertainment Prices in Sydney
Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Theatre Show$29
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Sydney Tower Visit (for 2)$30
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Blue Mountain Tour/Featherdale Park (for 2)$125
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Powerhouse Museum$9.85
Tours and Activities in Sydney
Here are a few actual costs in Sydney for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Sydney's Hidden Gems Self Guided City Tour: $1.79
- Sydney Cockatoo Island Escape: Convict Adventure Game: $7.20
- Sydney Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self-Guided Tour: $7.20
- Sydney Walking Tour with Audioguide on Your Smartphone: $8.40
- Sydney Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Haunted Sydney Self-Guided Audio Ghost Tour: $10
- Experience Sydney Audio Tour Adventure: $15
- Discover Self-Guided Audio Tour: $16
- Aboriginal Art Exhibition Ticket, Art Gallery of NSW: $17
- Razor Gangs True Crime Tour: $17
- Tickets & Tours at Art Gallery of New South Wales: $17
- Tours & Exhibitions at Art Gallery of New South Wales: $17
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Sydney $15
Typical Alcohol Prices in Sydney
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Sydney:
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Wine$10
Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sydney:
- Wollongong Bar Crawl Go Out with a Gong: $15
- Big Night Out Pub Crawl with Local Party Hosts: $32
- Private Wine Tasting at The Rocks: $46
- Sydney Cellar Door - Old Vine Expressions Wine Tasting: $47
- Marrickville Brewery Tour: $78
- From: Sydney - Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Guided Day Tour: $89
- Sydney Beer and Brewery Tour: $103
- Brewery, Winery, and Distillery Tasting Tour: $112
- From Full-Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour & Lunch: $145
- From Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Day Tour: $145
- From Hunter Valley Multi-Brewery Tour with Lunch: $149
- Small Group Hunter Valley Wine Tour + Lunch, Gin & Choc ex Sydney: $151
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Sydney, we can see that Sydney 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 Sydney is in Pacific, 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 Sydney would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sydney 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 Sydney 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.