A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Mombasa vs. Addis Ababa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Mombasa or Addis Ababa?

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 Mombasa and Addis Ababa. 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: Mombasa or Addis Ababa?

Mombasa

Mombasa is a beautiful, large city on the eastern coast of Kenya, bordering the Indian Ocean. The city is famous for its stunning beaches, friendly locals, and diverse marine life. Mombasa experiences a tropical climate year round, meaning temperatures rarely drop below 70° Fahrenheit. The rainiest months of the year are April and May and the driest months are January and February. Temperatures tend to be more mild from May through October, usually in the 70's and 80's. Temperatures get much warmer from November through April, with daily averages reaching the high 90's.

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Kenya, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Kenya.


Which place is cheaper, Addis Ababa or Mombasa?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Mombasa is $64, while the average daily cost in Addis Ababa is $32. 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 Mombasa and Addis Ababa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mombasa $26
    Addis Ababa $21
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mombasa $52
    Addis Ababa $42
Compare Hotels in Mombasa and Addis Ababa

Looking for a hotel in Mombasa or Addis Ababa? 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.

Hotels in Mombasa


Hotels in Addis Ababa


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: Mombasa Hotel Prices and Addis Ababa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mombasa $18
    Addis Ababa $3.74

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mombasa

Also for Mombasa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfers To Malindi Hotels: $134
  • Mombasa Airport Transfers to Mtwapa: $130
  • Mombasa Airport Transfers : $129
  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfer To Watamu Hotels: $107
  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfers To Vipingo & Kilifi Hotels: $89
  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfer to Vipingo and Kilifi: $88
  • Private Departure Transfer in Mombasa: $80
  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfer To South Coast Diani Hotels: $76
  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfer to Diani Beach: $76
  • Private Transfer from Mombasa City to Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA): $75
  • Diani Taxi and Airport Transfers: $70
  • DianiBeach: Private Transfer from Airport or Railway Station: $70

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.25

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa

Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $112
  • Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
  • City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $26
  • City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $22
  • City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $26
  • Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $20
  • Addis Ababa Private Airport-Hotel Transfer: $82
  • Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
  • 4 Hours Addis Airport Transfer with Ethiopian Cultural Tour: $299
  • Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23

Is it cheaper to fly into Mombasa or Addis Ababa?

Prices for flights to both Addis Ababa and Mombasa 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Mombasa $24
    Addis Ababa $8.35

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mombasa

For Mombasa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Fort Jesus Sound and Light Show Tour With Dinner.: $46
  • Fort Jesus Light and music Night Shows With Dinner.: $47
  • Swahili food Cooking Class Experience: $47
  • Momobasa: Food tour,Swahili culture,spice market experience: $130

Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:


  • Slice of Cake
    $0.06

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa

For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
  • Mom's cooking class: $60
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
  • Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $70
  • Culinary Class and Food Tour in Addis Ababa : $82
  • Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $87
  • Ethiopian cooking class: $95
  • Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95
  • Local Ethiopian Food Tour: $100
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa Ethiopia: $103
  • Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa: $116
  • Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $120

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mombasa $18
    Addis Ababa $3.86

Tours and Activities in Mombasa

For Mombasa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Full Day Private Mombasa Tour: $170
  • Kongo River Sunset Experience in Canoe: $39
  • Mombasa Getaway with Haller Park Tours: $120
  • The Best Of Mombasa Walking Tour: $214
  • 1 Day Wasini Dolphin Tour : $150
  • 2 Days adventure from Mombasa to Ngutuni Game sanctuary.: $460
  • 3 Hour Real Kenya Tour with a Local Guide: $40
  • Aquatic experiences at the coastal of Mombasa-Nyali.: $90
  • City Tour with Ghalib: $72
  • Day Tour To Mombasa: $145
  • Day Tour to Tsavo East National Park from Mombasa or Diani: $268
  • Day tour to Tsavo East National Park from Mombasa or Diani: $239

Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.

  • Addis Ababa City Tours Full-Day Tours : $113
  • Airport Layover Tour | Addis highlights, National Palace, Coffee Ceremony: $200
  • VIP Tour to The Unity Park, National Museum Palaces, Garden, Zoo: $95
  • 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $295
  • 2 Days guided Tour in Addis Abeba: $68
  • 2-Day Sof Omar Cave and Sheik Hussein Shrine Tour: $450
  • 3 Day Private Meskel Festival, Addis Ababa City and Debre Libanos Monastery Tour: $300
  • 3 Days Meskel Festival Package-Addis Ababa City Tour/Debre Libanos Monastery: $256
  • 3 Days Visiting Harar and Dire Dawa Tours: $480
  • 4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour: $85
  • 4 Hours Addis Ababa highlights city tour from Bole airport: $75
  • 5 Days Visiting Tigray Churches Tours: $1,200

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mombasa $8.85
    Addis Ababa $3.19

Sample the Local Flavors in Mombasa

Also in Mombasa, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Coastal Pub Crawl - Bamburi Drunk Tour: $25

Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:

  • Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $52
  • Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $59
  • Pub crawl Addis Ababa: $69


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mombasa and Addis Ababa, we can see that Mombasa is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa 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 Mombasa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Mombasa than you might in Addis Ababa.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mombasa Expensive? and Is Addis Ababa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Mombasa or Addis Ababa?

Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Mombasa. When comparing the sizes of Mombasa and Addis Ababa, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.