A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Masai Mara vs. San Jose for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Masai Mara or San Jose?

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 San Jose. 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 San Jose?

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.

San Jose

San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Budget Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica.


Which place is cheaper, San Jose 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.

The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in San Jose is $103. 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 San Jose in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Masai Mara $37
    San Jose $49
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Masai Mara $74
    San Jose $98
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and San Jose

Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or San Jose? 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 Masai Mara


Hotels in San Jose


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 San Jose Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Masai Mara $47
    San Jose $19

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

Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Jose

Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:


  • Taxi from SJO
    $25
  • Local Bus
    $2.72

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose

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

  • Private transfer from San José airport to San José hotels: $29
  • Private San José Airport Transfer to San José Hotels : $40
  • Private Transfer from City - San Jose Airport (SJO): $43
  • Private One-way Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport to San Jose: $44
  • Private One-way Transfer from San Jose to Juan Santamaria Airport: $45
  • Private Airport and Hotel Transfer: Alajuela and San Jose: $45
  • Private Transfer from San Jose to La Fortuna de Arenal: $46
  • Private Transfer from San Jose Airport One Way: $56
  • San Jose to Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport (SJO) – Departure Private Transfer: $58
  • Private transfer from San Jose-Heredia-Alajuela Hotels to International Airport: $60
  • Transfer 1 to 3 Pax Juan Santamaria Airport to SJO Hotels : $60
  • Private transfer from SJO Intl Airport to downtown Hotels: $65

Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or San Jose?

Prices for flights to both San Jose 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Masai Mara $57
    San Jose $31

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

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Jose

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

  • Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets: $29
  • San Jose Cooking Classes visit Central Market: $52
  • San Jose By Night: Farm to Table Dinner, Cooking & Cocktail Class: $59
  • Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $78
  • San Jose By Night: Sights & Culture Tour with Local Dinner : $80
  • Dinner + Typical dance show at the best viewpoint in San José: $92
  • Street Food Tour in San Jose with a Local Guide: $113
  • Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $185

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Masai Mara $60
    San Jose $21

Tours and Activities in Masai Mara

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:

  • Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225
  • Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
  • Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
  • Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
  • Fairview Coffee Farm Day Tour in Nairobi: $120
  • Full Day Tour Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center: $275
  • Giraffe Center Half-Day Guided Tour from Nairobi: $75
  • Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
  • Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
  • Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
  • Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
  • Nairobi Museum KICC Tower Kobe and Bomas of Kenya Day Tour: $115

Tours and Activities in San Jose

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

  • Self Guided Audio Walking Tour of San Jose Highlights: $4.62
  • Hiking Experience in El Quetzal Private Reserve: $26
  • Private Guided Tour of Cheese in Canaan de Rivas: $30
  • Sarapiqui Frog Experience: Night Experience in the Jungle.: $30
  • Hacienda Alsacia Starbucks Coffe Tour: $31
  • Poas Volcano National Park - Admission Ticket: $32
  • 2-Hour Orosi Nocturnal Tour: $33
  • San Jose ART Walking Tour - small groups, creative experience: $35
  • Historical Tour and Old Houses by Dota: $35
  • San Jose Walking Nature Tour: Sloths, Birds and Trees: $35
  • Skip the Line: Rescate Wildlife Rescue Centre General Admission Ticket: $35
  • Sarapiqui Rainforest Night Walk : Wildlife & Adventure.: $35

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Masai Mara $26
    San Jose $16

Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:

  • Exclusive Pub Crawl in San Jose : $30
  • Bar Crawl in Downtown San Jose: $39
  • Wine Tour and Tasting: $85
  • Bar Crawl in San Jose in a Deluxe Party Bus: $100


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

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 San Jose Expensive?.