A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Nairobi vs. Cologne for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Nairobi or Cologne?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and Cologne can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Nairobi or Cologne?

Nairobi

Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.

Cologne

Spanning the Rhine River in western Germany, the city of Cologne dates back 2,000 years, once existing as the largest city of the Holy Roman Empire in medieval times. Today, it is the region's cultural hub - a center of museums, galleries, and towering Gothic cathedrals.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Germany, and The Best Budget Tours to Germany.


Which place is cheaper, Cologne or Nairobi?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $61, while the average daily cost in Cologne is $172. 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 Nairobi and Cologne in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Nairobi $11
    Cologne $97
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Nairobi $22
    Cologne $194
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Cologne

Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or Cologne? 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 Nairobi


Hotels in Cologne


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: Nairobi Hotel Prices and Cologne Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Nairobi $10
    Cologne $20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:


  • Taxi from Airport
    $9.08

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi

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

  • Airport Transfer from Nairobi to Naivasha: $70
  • Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $20
  • Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $47
  • Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $35
  • Airport Transfers within Nairobi: $30
  • Airport and Hotels Transfers: $40
  • From 7-Day Kenya Safari Trip with Meals & Transfer: $1,800
  • Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: Airport transfers: $50
  • Kibera Slums Kenya Day Guided Tour With Transfer.: $40
  • Mercedes Viano Private Transfer Luxury Comfort Nairobi : $250
  • NAIROBI AIRPORT TRANSFER: $23
  • Nairobi Airport One Way Private Transfer: $24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cologne

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cologne:

  • Transfer from Cologne Airport CGN to Cologne City by Luxury Car: $83
  • Superior Private Transfer from Cologne City to Dortmund City: $64
  • Cologne hotels to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) - Departure Private Transfer: $49
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Cologne hotels - Round-trip Private Transfer : $98
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $110
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $55

Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Cologne?

Prices for flights to both Cologne and Nairobi 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
    Nairobi $7.35
    Cologne $54
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi

For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dinner for Two
    $4.92

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi

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

  • Carnivore Restaurant: Lunch or Dinner Experience in Nairobi: $21
  • Carnivore Restaurant Dinner Experience.: $32
  • Nairobi:Carnivore Restaurant Dinner and Pub Crawling.: $47
  • Local Market Tour and Traditional Meal Cooking Class: $48
  • Enjoy Traditional Kenyan Food Cooking Class With a Host.: $54
  • Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour : $55
  • Nairobi Private Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class with Lunch: $55
  • Nairobi Cooking and Food Tasting Activity: $60
  • Private Interactive Cooking Class and Market Tour in Kinoo: $65
  • Cooking Lesson of Local Food $ Lunch: $68
  • Carnivore Resturant Dinner Experience : $68
  • Carnivore Restaurant Lunch or Dinner Experience: $80

Typical Food Prices in Cologne

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cologne:


  • Dinner
    $15
  • Donner Kebab
    $4.29

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cologne

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cologne.

  • Hard Rock Café with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
  • Hard Rock Cafe Cologne With Set Lunch or Dinner: $29
  • Köln Südstadt kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
  • 3-Hour Südstadt Food Tour: $484

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Nairobi $45
    Cologne $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Village Visit
    $15

Tours and Activities in Nairobi

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

  • Ebike adventure Hire Nairobi (Electric mountain bike hire): $15
  • Nairobi cultural shopping experience: $18
  • Nairobi City Walking and Historic Tours: $19
  • Nairobi City;culture and historical guided tour: $19
  • Nairobi;Downtown walking tour: $20
  • vibrant kibera slum tour: $24
  • Private Guided Nairobi City and Cultural Walking Tour: $25
  • Kibera slums half day tour from nairobi: $25
  • Memorable Daily KIBERA Slums/Toi Market Tour with Locals (2 hours): $25
  • Elephant orphanage, Giraffe center, kobe beads tour: $25
  • From Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Center Tour: $25
  • Half-Day Tour Giraffe Center and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: $25

Tours and Activities in Cologne

Here are a few actual costs in Cologne for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 120min - Cologne City Tour: $158
  • 3-Hour Cologne Street Art Bike Tour in Small Group with Guide: $44
  • 3-Hour Murder Mystery Interactive City Walking Tour in Köln: $75
  • 5 Hours Cologne to Aachen Train Tour in Germany: $63
  • Aachen City Hall tour (public): $20
  • Aachen Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide: $231
  • Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.55
  • Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Self Guided Walking Tour on your Phone: $7.63
  • Aachen old town tour - GERMAN (public): $13
  • Amusing Stories of Cologne Walking Tour: $13
  • Ancient Echoes: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Roman Cologne: $11
  • Awesome Sites of Cologne – Private Family Walking Tour: $397

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Nairobi $15
    Cologne $24

Sample the Local Flavors in Cologne

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cologne:

  • Public brewery tour in German in Cologne: $18
  • Old Town Walking Tour with Brewery and Kölsch Beer: $18
  • Guided tour of the old town with a visit to the brewery in Cologne: $19
  • Old Town Walking Tour inkl Brewery Visit: $24
  • Entertaining Brewery Tour: Feel Good Package including local beer: $27
  • South Cologne Walking Tour with brewery visit: $27
  • Pub Crawl Cologne Including Admission Fee for Bars and Shots: $27
  • Brewery Tour with 3 Kölsch Beer Tastings: $30
  • Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting and Halven Hahn: $31
  • The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $32
  • The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $33
  • Cologne-Nippes: Gourmet wine tasting with cheese platter: $64


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

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


Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Cologne?

Nairobi has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Cologne. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and Cologne, 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.