Should you visit Mombasa or Madrid?
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 Madrid. 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 Madrid?
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.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Kenya, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Kenya, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid.
Which place is cheaper, Madrid or Mombasa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Mombasa is $81, while the average daily cost in Madrid is $184. 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 Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Mombasa or Madrid? 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:
Mombasa Hotel Prices and
Madrid Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mombasa
Also for Mombasa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Mombasa Airport Private Transfer To Watamu Hotels:
$113
-
From Mombasa Airport Diani Transfer in a Minivan 5 Pax:
$75
-
Airport Transfers to Watamu and Malindi:
$75
-
Mombasa Airport (MBA) to Mombasa - Roundtrip Private Transfer:
$73
-
Diani Taxi and Airport Transfers:
$70
-
Private Transfer from Mombasa Port to Mombasa Moi Airport (MBA):
$58
-
Private Transfer from Mombasa Moi Airport (MBA) to Mombasa Port:
$58
-
Private Transfer from Mombasa Cruise Port to Mombasa City Hotels:
$58
-
Private Transfer from Mombasa City Hotels to Mombasa Cruise Port:
$58
-
Private Transfer from Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA) to Mombasa City:
$42
-
Private Transfer from Mombasa City to Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA):
$42
-
Mombasa Airport Private Transfer To Nyali/bamburi/shanzu:
$36
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Vehicle transfer with driver included in Madrid:
$153
-
Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Madrid APT-HTL (MAD):
$68
-
Shuttle Transfer Arrivals: Madrid Airport to City Center:
$212
-
Seamless Madrid Airport Transfer One Way or Round Trip Options:
$41
-
Private transfer from Madrid airport to Madrid city center.:
$93
-
Private transfer from Madrid Barajas Airport to Madrid:
$92
-
Private transfer departure from City Centre to Madrid Airport:
$29
-
Private tour of Prado & Reina Sofía, tickets and transfer included:
$288
-
Private Transfers Madrid Airport to Central Madrid:
$50
-
Private Transfer: Madrid to Madrid Airport MAD in Luxury Van:
$89
-
Private Transfer: Madrid to Madrid Airport MAD in Luxury Car:
$120
-
Private Transfer: Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid by Business Car:
$84
Is it cheaper to fly into Mombasa or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid 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 $41
Madrid $67
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mombasa
For Mombasa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Special African Dinner:
$46
-
Sultan's Spoon Mombasa Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$49
-
Mombasa Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings:
$49
-
Swahili Cooking Class Experience with a Local Chef:
$65
-
Diani Beach Sunset Dhow Cruise with Dinner:
$71
-
Tamarind Dhow Dinner Cruise & Nightlife:
$136
Typical Food Prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
-
Coffee
$2.28
-
Ice Cream
$3.42
-
Kebabs (for 2)
$18
-
Croissant
$1.71
-
Lunch at Airport (for 2)
$18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Zarzuela Opera and Dinner at La Castafiore Restaurant in Madrid:
$65
-
Small-Group Food Tour with Local Tapas & Spanish Wine:
$69
-
Small-Group Food Tour with Tapas, Wine & Vermouth:
$74
-
Spanish Tapas Experience and Sangría Showcooking in Madrid:
$76
-
10 Tapas Cooking Class Experience in Madrid with Sangria:
$87
-
Guided Food Tour of Tapas, Ham, Olive Oil & Vermouth:
$89
-
Madrid Tapas & Wine Tasting Food Tour – Small Group Local Bars:
$91
-
Madrid Ultimate Spanish Cuisine Food Tour:
$93
-
Madrid Spanish Omelet Cooking Class and Bottomless Wine brunch:
$94
-
The Best Flamenco in Madrid Show with Dinner and Drink:
$97
-
Madrid Food Tour in a Neighborhood Market with Churros:
$105
-
Tapas & Paella Cooking Class in Madrid with a Professional Chef:
$105
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Mombasa
For Mombasa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
1 Day Group tour to Tsavo East National Park with Buffet Lunch:
$160
-
1 Day Malindi day Tour (minimum 2 Pax):
$194
-
1 Day Wasini Dolphin Tour From Diani Beach:
$98
-
4 Hours Guided Mombasa City Tour:
$45
-
City Tour with Ghalib:
$76
-
Day Tour To Shimba Hills Park from Mombasa:
$264
-
Day Wasini Private Boat Tour with Snorkeling And Seafood:
$244
-
Diani Beach Village Tour and Wildlife Park Day Trip:
$218
-
Diani Beach: Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest Guided Tour:
$75
-
Fort Jesus & Mombasa Old Town Walking CityTour:
$38
-
Full Day Group Joining Tour In Mombasa From Kilindin Harbour Port:
$140
-
Full Day Mombasa Excursion Tour:
$162
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
-
Ávila & Segovia Day Trip From Madrid with Monument Tickets:
$116
-
2 Hour Madrid City Expert Tour:
$199
-
2 Hour Private Panoramic Tuk Tuk Tour:
$200
-
2-Hour Patisserie Experience for Dessert Lovers:
$118
-
3 Hour Private Bike Tour in Madrid with a Guide:
$176
-
3-hour experience on the Redován K2 Family Via Ferrata:
$49
-
30 Minutes of Jet Ski Adventure on the Coast of Alicante:
$106
-
3h Prado Museum Private Tour Skip the Line & Hotel Pick-up:
$209
-
A Self-Guided Tour of El Retiro Park’s Rise, Ruin and Redemption:
$5.00
-
A local's A self-guided audio tour:
$12
-
Alcalá de Henares Private Tour from Madrid:
$252
-
Alcala de Henares and Cervantes Guided Tour from Madrid:
$55
Alcohol
Typical Alcohol Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
-
Beer
$5.70
-
Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
-
Visit to the Winery with Wine Tasting and Appetizers in Navarra:
$12
-
Madrid Pub Crawl: VIP Entry & Shots, Games (Kapital, Fitz, Shoko):
$14
-
Pub Crawl Madrid-The Original since 2005-Shots-Fun-Clubs-Dance:
$29
-
Wine Tour with tasting in the Natural Park of La Mata:
$38
-
Wine Tasting in Madrid Experience:
$54
-
Madrid Tapas and Wine Tour with a Local Guide:
$73
-
Rooftop Bar Crawl Madrid Experience:
$76
-
New Year Eve Madrid Pub Crawl:
$81
-
Spanish Wine Tasting :
$90
-
Spanish Wine Tasting and Tapas Tour:
$100
-
Wine Tasting and Flamenco Master Class in Madrid:
$101
-
Madrid Tapas & Wine Tour with Rooftop Views and Local Guide:
$115
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mombasa and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. And not only is Mombasa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mombasa is in Africa and Madrid 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 Mombasa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mombasa 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 Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Mombasa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mombasa Expensive? and Is Madrid Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mombasa or Madrid?
Madrid has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Mombasa. When comparing the sizes of Mombasa and Madrid, 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.
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