A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Arusha vs. Bangkok for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Arusha or Bangkok?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Arusha and Bangkok 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: Arusha or Bangkok?

Arusha

Arusha is a city in East Africa's Tanzania, located at the base of volcanic Mt. Meru. It’s a gateway to safari destinations and to Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, lying some 100 kilometers northeast. To the west lies Serengeti National Park, home to wildlife including lions, rhinoceros, giraffes and leopards. Annual migrations feature huge herds of wildebeests crossing its plains. Arusha is Tanzania’s gateway to the northern circuit of stellar national parks and the starting point of many a memorable safari. It’s also a large, sprawling city which offers a nice break from the rigors of life on the African road – it has excellent places to stay and eat and, for the most part, it’s lush and green and enjoys a temperate climate throughout the year. Arusha is a great destination, and you're sure to enjoy your time here, no matter what your interests are.

Bangkok

Bangkok: a name synonymous with all things exotic. The vibrant and exciting capital of Thailand is not just a hub for Southeast Asia, but also a destination into itself. Known for an active nightlife and party scene, as well as great food, historic temples, and busy markets, Bangkok offers a diversity to entertain even the most experienced travelers.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Tanzania, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Tanzania, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Thailand, and The Best Wildlife Tours to Thailand.


Which place is cheaper, Bangkok or Arusha?

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 Arusha is $187, while the average daily cost in Bangkok is $101. 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 Arusha and Bangkok in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Arusha $125
    Bangkok $48
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Arusha $250
    Bangkok $96
Compare Hotels in Arusha and Bangkok

Looking for a hotel in Arusha or Bangkok? 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 Arusha


Hotels in Bangkok


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: Arusha Hotel Prices and Bangkok Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Arusha $13
    Bangkok $6.33

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arusha

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

  • Arusha Airport & Hotel Transfers: $40
  • Kilimanjaro Airport and Arusha Private Transfer: $59
  • Moshi - Arusha Transfer: $149
  • Private Transfer from Arusha to Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO): $48

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bangkok

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Bangkok are as follows:


  • Tuk Tuk to bus station
    $2.42
  • Skytrain Ticket
    $4.84
  • Chao Phraya River Express Ticket
    $0.97
  • Ferry Ride
    $0.79
  • Taxi From Airport
    $7.57
  • Short Taxi Ride
    $2.72
  • Boat Taxi
    $1.51
  • Trains to airport
    $4.84

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bangkok

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bangkok:

  • oneway transfer service Bangkok-Hua hin: $78
  • VIP Bangkok Tours and Transfers: $65
  • Transfer from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to HuaHin: $83
  • Transfer from Don Mueang (DMK) Airport to Bangkok city: $30
  • Transfer from BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport to Rayong Province: $83
  • Transfer Suvarnabhumi Airport(BKK) to Bangkok City Center: $19
  • Transfer From Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok Hotel or Vice Versa: $41
  • Thrilling Jurassic World Adventure with Private Bangkok Transfer: $59
  • Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya 24 hour Round trip Transfer Service: $150
  • Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya 24 hour Private Airport Transfer Service: $78
  • Suvarnabhumi Airport BKK Private Transfer to Bangkok or Pattaya: $14
  • Survanabuhmi Airport Meet and Greet Assist&Buggy&Private Transfer: $125

Is it cheaper to fly into Arusha or Bangkok?

Prices for flights to both Bangkok and Arusha 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
    Arusha $40
    Bangkok $35
Typical Food Prices in Arusha

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


  • A Quick Lunch (for 2)
    $2.07

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Arusha

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

  • Traditional Tanzania Cooking Class & Food Market Tour: $45
  • Local Tanzanian Food Cooking Class by Kingstone Asilia (Arusha): $75
  • Homestay + Cooking + Animal Care + Fruit Harvesting + Much More: $193

Typical Food Prices in Bangkok

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


  • Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe (for Two)
    $27
  • Casual Lunch of Prawns (for Two)
    $6.05
  • 2 Rotis (Bread)
    $1.36
  • Mango & Sticky Rice
    $0.91
  • Lunch at KFC (for Two)
    $6.05
  • Pad Thai
    $2.12
  • Airport Lunch for 2
    $17
  • Lunch for 2
    $22

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bangkok

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

  • Authentic Pad Thai & Tom Yum Cooking Class with Local Chef: $21
  • Baiyoke Sky Observation Deck Ticket with Buffet Lunch or Dinner: $23
  • Baiyoke Sky Observation Deck With Buffet Dinner or Lunch: $24
  • Nopparat’s Traditional Thai Dinner & Dance: $25
  • Chao Phraya Princess Bangkok Sunset Dinner Cruise: $26
  • 2-Hour Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya Princess: $26
  • Meridian Sunset Dinner Cruise - Floating Paradise From ICONSIAM Bangkok: $26
  • Bangkok Sawasdee Sunset Dinner Cruise from ICONSIAM Beer FreeFlow: $27
  • Chao Phraya Princess Sunset and Dinner Cruise: $27
  • Twilight Dinner Cruise Along Chao Phraya River in Bangkok: $28
  • Meridian Sunset Cruise Dinner Buffet from Bangkok: $28
  • Best Thai Cooking Class in Sukhumvit With Market Tour Mango: $28

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Arusha $43
    Bangkok $17

Tours and Activities in Arusha

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

  • Arusha Guided Tour: Culture, History, Markets&Hidden Gems+pickup: $18
  • Personalized Arusha City Tour Culture History and Market: $20
  • Arusha Guided City Tour &Hotel Pickup (History, Culture &Market: $21
  • Arusha City Tour: Where Continents Collide & Cultures Dance: $30
  • Arusha Town Tour: $30
  • Private Meru Coffee Tour in Nkoaranga: $35
  • Arusha City Culture and Historical Walking Tour: $40
  • Street Food and Community Walking Tour: $45
  • Banana Bliss Plantation Coffee Medicinal and Waterfall Tour: $45
  • Private Walking Tour with Giraffes: $55
  • Arusha Nightlife Tour: $60
  • Arusha Private City Tour: $66

Typical Entertainment Prices in Bangkok

Here are a few typical costs in Bangkok for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Movie Ticket
    $4.84
  • Grand Palace Entrance Ticket
    $11
  • Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) Ticket
    $1.51
  • Dusit Zoo Entrance Fee (for Two)
    $6.05
  • Club Cover Charge
    $11
  • Thai Boxing Tickets (for Two)
    $73
  • Fish Pedicure
    $4.54
  • Wat Pho entrance ticket
    $3.03
  • Siriraj Museum (2)
    $12

Tours and Activities in Bangkok

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

  • "Bangkok Walking Hopping Tour" show city’s historic sights are located.: $76
  • 2 Day Guided Tour from Bangkok to Ayutthaya: $93
  • 2 Days Pattaya Sunset Boat Party Tour: $140
  • 2 Days Private Experience from Bangkok Big City Farm: $250
  • 2 Hour Bangkok Canal Tour Big Buddha and Local Life by Longtail: $34
  • 2 Hour Electric Tuk Tuk Cultural Tour of Bangkok: $30
  • 2 Hour Muay Thai Training Experience with Fighters in Bangkok: $22
  • 2 Hours Bangkok Canal Tour By Longtail Boat: $72
  • 2-Day River Kwai Adventure with 1-Night Stay at Resotel: $243
  • 2-hour SUNSET Canal Tour + FOODS Tasting with Tour Guide: $50
  • 3 Days Bangkok Experience with Accommodation & Top Sightseeing: $184
  • 3 Hours Heritage Ayutthaya Bus Tour to Famous Temples: $28

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Arusha $10
    Bangkok $5.54

Typical Alcohol Prices in Bangkok

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Bangkok are as follows:


  • Beer
    $1.21

Sample the Local Flavors in Bangkok

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Bangkok:

  • The Original Speakeasy & Iconic Venues Pub Crawl: $21
  • Sunset Rooftop, TukTuk Ride, Night Market & Bar Crawl: $29


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

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


Which is Bigger, Arusha or Bangkok?

Bangkok has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Arusha. When comparing the sizes of Arusha and Bangkok, 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.