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

Should you visit Mombasa or Salta?

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 Salta. 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 Salta?

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.

Salta

Located in the heart of the famous Northwest region of Argentina, at 1200m of elevation and at the foot of the Cerro San Bernardo, Salta is the largest city of the region and perhaps the most beautiful colonial city of Argentina. Founded in 1582 by the Spanish, Salta was an important stop for merchants who followed the usual trade road through Bolivia and Peru. Argentines call this city nestled in the foothills of the Andes and surrounded by mountains, of just over half a million inhabitants, Salta La Linda (Salta the Beautiful) and it's easy to see why. Young and traditional at the same time, Salta and its renowned museums, plaza side cafes and live musica folklorica of its bustling penas, is a sophisticated and lively city day and night.

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


Which place is cheaper, Salta 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 $80, while the average daily cost in Salta is $45. 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 Salta in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mombasa $26
    Salta $31
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mombasa $52
    Salta $62
Compare Hotels in Mombasa and Salta

Looking for a hotel in Mombasa or Salta? 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 Salta


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 Salta Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mombasa $18
    Salta $3.13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mombasa

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

  • Transfer From Mombasa (Moi Airport/SGR) To Diani: $35
  • Safe Private Airport Transfer in Mombasa: $19
  • Private Transfer from Mombasa Cruise Port to Mombasa City Hotels: $79
  • Private Transfer from Mombasa City to Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA): $43
  • Private Transfer from Mombasa City Hotels to Mombasa Cruise Port: $79
  • Private Transfer from Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA) to Mombasa City: $43
  • Private Day Tour of Mombasa City with Transfers: $104
  • Mombasa Moi Airport (MBA) to Mombasa - Arrival Private Transfer: $37
  • Mombasa Airport Transfers to Mtwapa: $130
  • Mombasa Airport Transfers : $129
  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfers To Vipingo & Kilifi Hotels: $95
  • Mombasa Airport Private Transfer to Diani Beach: $81

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salta

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

  • Transfer from Salta Airport: $7.19
  • Shared Transfer from Downtown Hotels in Salta to Airport: $12
  • Saver Combo: Cafayate, Cachi, Salt Fields, Transfers and Walking: $184
  • Shared 1-Way or Round Trip SLA Airport Transfer: $8.00
  • Private 1-Way or Round Trip SLA Airport Transfer: $56
  • One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $5.50
  • Cafayate Wine Tour with Tastings and Transfers: $150
  • Salta City Tour & Round Trip Transfers airport - hotel: $109
  • Salta Airport Shuttle Transfer: $15
  • Salta Airport One-Way or Round-Trip Transfers: $45
  • Humahuaca, 7-color Hill & round trip transfers airport - hotel in Salta: $167
  • From Salinas and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $99

Is it cheaper to fly into Mombasa or Salta?

Prices for flights to both Salta 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
    Salta $5.41

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mombasa $18
    Salta $27

Tours and Activities in Mombasa

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

  • Mombasa Getaway with Haller Park Tours: $150
  • The Best Of Mombasa Walking Tour: $227
  • Bus Tickets from Mombasa to Nairobi: $55
  • Day Tour To Tsavo East National Park: $240
  • Day Tour to Tsavo East National Park from Mombasa or Diani: $278
  • Day tour to Shimba hills National Reserve from Mombasa/Diani: $336
  • Diani: Full-day Guided Mombasa City Tour from Diani: $110
  • Fort Jesus Museum Walking Tour in Mombasa: $35
  • Full Day Group Joining Tour of Mombasa : $107
  • Full Day Mombasa Excursion Tour : $110
  • Full day tour in Mombasa: $93
  • Full-Day Tour of Mombasa: $110

Tours and Activities in Salta

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

  • Full-Day Tour to Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca From Salta: $38
  • 2-Day Tour to Cachi and Los Cardones National Park: $57
  • 3 Day Tour from Salta to Cachi, Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
  • Adventure in the North: Pack of 4 Excursions + Hornocal: $132
  • Best of Guided City Tour: $43
  • Cachi Full Day Tour with Los Cardones National Park: $34
  • Exclusive day-long private tour of Cafayate vineyards: $278
  • From Salta 3 Day Tour to Cafayate Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
  • From Cachi and Los Cardones National Park Tour: $30
  • From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $20
  • From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $30
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $31

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mombasa $8.79
    Salta $5.50

Sample the Local Flavors in Salta

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Salta:

  • Cafayate: Full-day tour of wineries and wine tasting: $29
  • Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta: $30
  • From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate with Wine Tasting: $30
  • From Cafayate Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $40
  • Half Day Wine Tasting in Salta: $147


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mombasa and Salta, we can see that Mombasa is more expensive. And not only is Salta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mombasa is in Africa and Salta is in South 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 Salta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salta 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 Salta.

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


Which is Bigger, Mombasa or Salta?

Mombasa has a larger population, and is about 56% larger than the population of Salta. When comparing the sizes of Mombasa and Salta, 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.