Which place is cheaper, Riga 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 Riga?
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 Riga. 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 Riga?
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.
Riga
Riga is the vibrant capital city of Latvia. It continues to gain popularity as a tourist destination in part because it is the base for the airline Air Baltic. This affordable airline offers discount flights around Europe and most of these flights pass through Riga with a forced overnight layover. This encourages travelers to visit this fascinating city for at least a night or two.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, and The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesRiga Prices
Latvia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $132Riga $143
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Riga is $143. 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 Riga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Riga $61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Riga $122
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Riga
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Riga? 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 Riga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Riga $11
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
- Riga Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Klaipeda: $43
- Riga Airport to Hotel Transfer: $45
- Arrival Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City by Minivan: $51
- Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minivan: $51
- Transfer from Riga center to Airport: $53
- Transfer from Riga Airport to Riga Old city: $53
- Riga Airport to Riga City - Private Transfer: $57
- Riga City to Riga Airport - Private Transfer: $57
- Private Transfer from Riga Airport to Hotel with English speaking driver: $59
- Private Transfer to anywhere in Riga Center: $60
- Private Transfer from Riga Airport (RIX) to Riga Cruise Port: $60
- Departure Transfer from Riga to Riga Airport RIX by Car or Van: $68
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Riga?
Prices for flights to both Riga 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 $57Riga $67
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Carnivore experience Lunch Or Dinner (Optional Bomas of kenya ): $40
Typical Food Prices in Riga
Some typical examples of dining costs in Riga are as follows:
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Fast Food Lunch$6.76
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Riga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Riga.
- Central Market Traditional Food Tour in a Small Group: $41
- Central Market Latvian Food Tour: $53
- Khinkali and Pelmeni Cooking Master Class: $70
- Latvian Art Museum, Dinner, and Black Balsam Tasting: $210
- Traditional Latvian Dinner with Private Folk Show: $252
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Riga $16
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
- Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Giraffe Center Half-Day Guided Tour from Nairobi: $75
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Ngong Hills Adventure from Nairobi: $85
- Private Day Tour to Nairobi Arboretum and Nairobi National Museum: $109
- Nairobi Museum KICC Tower Kobe and Bomas of Kenya Day Tour: $115
- Fairview Coffee Farm Day Tour in Nairobi: $120
- Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
- Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225
Tours and Activities in Riga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Riga are as follows:
- An audio tour of Old from St Peter's Church to the Monument of Freedom: $6.99
- Entrance Ticket - House of the Black Heads: $8.21
- Canal Boat Tour with Welcome Drink & Audio Guide: $8.21
- Old Town Electrobus Tour + Audio Guide & Drink: $9.38
- Panorama Riga Observation Deck Ticket: $9.38
- Riga Exploration Game and City Tour on your Phone: $9.55
- Riga Canal and Daugava Boat Tour with Welcome Drink & Audio Guide: $9.56
- Evening or Sunset Boat Tour with Drink and Audio Guide: $9.56
- Evening or Sunset Boat Tour with Welcome Drink: $10
- Rowing boats and Pedal boat rental - River Cruises Latvia: $11
- Riga English Self-guided Audio Tour on your Phone: $11
- Riga Golden Autumn Canal & River Cruise | River Cruises LV: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Riga $23
Sample the Local Flavors in Riga
Also in Riga, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Old town pub & bar crawl, hidden gems, and local party: $21
- Pub Crawl with Local Guide: $29
- Riga Pub Crawl: $41
- Latvian Brewery Visit & 5 Beer tasting: $47
- Riga Evening Adventure: Pub Crawl & Games Night: $50
- Game Night & Pub Crawl: $52
- Latvian Brewery Visit and Beer Tasting : $54
- Riga Brewery Tour: $59
- Prosecco Bike & Pub Crawl: $65
- Riga Brewery Tour: $76
- Riga's Old Town Beer Bike Tour & Guided Pub Crawl: $94
- Shooting Range and Old Town Pub Crawl: $106
When comparing the travel costs between Masai Mara and Riga, we can see that Riga is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Masai Mara is in Africa and Riga is in Europe, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
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 Riga 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.