Which place is cheaper, Toronto 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 Toronto?
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 Toronto. 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 Toronto?
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.
Toronto
The capital of Ontario and the most populated city in Canada, Toronto is a very popular travel destination for any number of reasons. It's positioned along the coast of Lake Ontario and has a population of more than 2.6 million with 6.2 million in the Greater Toronto Area. It's a very international and diverse city, with a very rich cultural history. More than half of the city's population was not born in Canada, and there are more than eighty different ethnic neighborhoods sprinkled throughout the city. The city is a center for music, theater, film, and television. It has countless museums, festivals, and sights that attract more than 25 million tourists every year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Northern Lights Tours in Canada, and The Best Luxury Tours to Canada.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesToronto Prices
Canada Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $133Toronto $247
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Toronto is $247. 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 Toronto in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Toronto $85
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Toronto $170
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Toronto
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Toronto? 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 Toronto Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Toronto $32
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 Toronto
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Toronto are as follows:
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Airport Shuttle$26
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Train: 2 Day Passes$16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Toronto
Also for Toronto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Express Train Transfer to/from Pearson Airport: $9.58
- Toronto to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) - Departure Private Transfer: $40
- Transfer Toronto Hotels to Toronto Pearson Airport YYZ: $41
- Pearson Airport To Toronto Hotel & Air B&B Transfer: $41
- Sedan Departure Transfer from Toronto City to Toronto Airport YYZ: $59
- Private Airport Transfer Pearson Airport to or from Toronto: $66
- Toronto Pearson Airport: Transfer to/from Niagara Falls: $67
- Private Transfer: Toronto Pearson Airport or Oakville City Ontario: $73
- Private Transfer to and from YTZ Toronto Billy Bishop Airport: $73
- Toronto Airport (YYZ): Private Transfer to/from Downtown: $74
- Private Transfer:- Toronto Pearson Airport or Markham City Ontario: $78
- Toronto Airport Transfer: $92
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Toronto?
Prices for flights to both Toronto 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 $57Toronto $109
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
- Chiyo Japanese and Korean Restaurant Dinner with Cat Dance Show: $155
- Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275
Typical Food Prices in Toronto
For Toronto, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch at St. Lawrence Market for Two$23
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Dinner at Mill Street Brewery (for 2)$56
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Toronto
For Toronto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Premium Harbor Cruise with Lunch, Brunch, or Dinner: $46
- Great White North Food Tour: $54
- Fun Sushi Making Cooking Class at a Trendy Venue in Toronto: $55
- Authentic Food Tour with Local & International Flavors: $59
- Pasta Making Cooking Class at a Local Distillery: $61
- Taste Canada: Non-Touristy St Lawrence Market Food Tour: $65
- Toronto Premier Dinner Cruise on Odyssey in Toronto Harbour: $69
- Kensington Market 'Taste the World' Food Tour: $72
- St Lawrence Market Food Tour with 6 Tastings: $78
- The Great Canadian Food Tour - Distillery + St. Lawrence Market: $80
- Niagara Falls Evening Tour with Boat, Journey, Dinner & Fireworks: $80
- Toronto's International Food Tour - Kensington Market: $87
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Toronto $31
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
- Carnivore Restaurant Nairobi Eating Experience with Transport: $145
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $55
- Day Tour Nairobi National Park Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen: $275
- Day Tour to Amboseli National Park: $300
- Day Tour to Maasai Mara Reserve From Nairobi: $225
- Day tour to Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen Museum: $95
- Day tour to Giraffe center and Karen Blixen Nairobi: $95
- Full day Crescent Island and Hell's Gate Park Cycling Tour: $295
Typical Entertainment Prices in Toronto
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Toronto's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Art Gallery of Ontario for Two$15
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CN Tower at night for Two$36
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Harbour Dinner Cruise$26
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Bata Shoe Museum (2)$7.25
Tours and Activities in Toronto
For Toronto, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Explore Niagara Falls with bus ticket from/to Toronto: $3.58
- City Highlights Walking Tour | 3-Hour: $4.02
- Old Town Toronto Highlights 3 Hour Walking Tour | Gratuity-Based: $5.00
- Toronto Self Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
- Toronto's Waterfront: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $8.05
- Discover A Self-Guided Tour: $8.24
- Best of Toronto and Waterfront Self-Guided Tours: $8.25
- Queen Street West: An audio tour exploring Toronto's coolest street: $8.99
- Historical Ghost Walk: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Downtown Hamilton: $8.99
- Old Toronto Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
- Bata Shoe Museum Entrance Ticket: $11
- Niagara Falls Driving Audio Tour Self Guided Journey from Toronto: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Toronto $22
Sample the Local Flavors in Toronto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Toronto:
- Toronto Distillery District: Whisky Exploration Game and Tour: $8.24
- Distillery District Historic Walking Tour: $20
- Toronto Distillery District Walking Tour: $21
- Nickel 9 Distillery Tour and Tasting: $25
- Distillery & Old Town Private Walking Tour: $28
- Short Distillery District Segway Tour: $35
- Pub Crawl Toronto: $43
- Pub Crawl Toronto: $44
- Distillery District Breakfast Walking Tour: $53
- Distillery District Breakfast Tour: $54
- Private Corktown and Distillery District Tour: $59
- Distillery District Beer and Cheese Tasting Tour: $68
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Toronto, we can see that Toronto 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 Toronto is in North America, 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 Toronto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Toronto 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 Toronto 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.