Which place is cheaper, Halong Bay or Dar es Salaam?
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 Dar es Salaam or Halong Bay?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Dar es Salaam and Halong Bay can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Halong Bay?
Dar es Salaam
Having grown from a fishing village, Dar es Salaam is now a major city and commercial port on Tanzania's Indian Ocean coast. While it is mainly used as a stopping point on the way to Zanzibar, it has a few unique treasures of its own such as the Kariakoo Market, National Museum, and the open-air Village Museum.
Halong Bay
Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north of Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Known for its thousands of beautiful limestone karsts and stalactite-filled caves, it is one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam. If you appreciate natural scenery and want an adventure at sea, you'll love cruising among more than 1,900 islands in Ha Long Bay.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Hanoi.
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Dar es Salaam Prices
Tanzania PricesHalong Bay Prices
Vietnam Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDar es Salaam $463Halong Bay $67
The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $463, while the average daily cost in Halong Bay is $67. 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 Dar es Salaam and Halong Bay in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDar es Salaam $424Halong Bay $27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDar es Salaam $848Halong Bay $54
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Halong Bay
Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Halong Bay? 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: Dar es Salaam Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dar es Salaam $13Halong Bay $14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dar es Salaam
Also for Dar es Salaam, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Dar es Salaam Airport Transfers Comfortable Ride to Your Hotel: $60
- Dar es Salaam Aya Sophia Wildlife, Beach, Lunch and Transfers: $217
- Half-Day City Tour with Transfers: $59
- Private Layover Tour with Airport Transfer: $120
- Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
- Private Airport Transfers in Dar: $60
- Private Transfer from Dar El Salaam to Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR): $50
- Transfer from dar es salaam to morogoro: $203
- Transfer/Airport pick up and drop off: $192
- Zanzibar Airport Shared Taxi Transfer to Any Hotel: $35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Halong Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Halong Bay:
- Private Halong Bay Day Tour: Transfer, Lunch, Guide, Entrance Fee: $300
- Ha Long Bay transfer to Sapa Town with Private Car: $300
- Premium 2-Day Halong & Lan Ha Bay Cruise with Meals & Transfer: $299
- Halong Bay 2D1N 5-Star Cruise–Transfer, Food & Island Adventures: $239
- Classic 2D1N Halong Bay Cruise from Hanoi with Bus Transfer: $218
- PRIVATE TRANSFER BETWEEN HANOI and HAI PHONG CITY(DCAR LIMOUSINE): $200
- 2 Day Halong Bay Cruise from Hanoi by Expressway Transfer: $199
- Halong Bay 2D1N Best-Selling Cruise with Transfer, Meals, Islands: $195
- Dragon 5Star HaLong Cruise 2D1N Included Transfer from Hanoi: $195
- 2D/1N at 5 STAR CRUISES: Transfer,Meals, Cave, Island & Beach: $185
- Private Transfer from Halong Bay Cruise Port to Hanoi hotels: $140
- Halong Day Tour: Islands, Cave, Kayak. Lunch. Transfers: $137
Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Halong Bay?
Prices for flights to both Halong Bay and Dar es Salaam 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 dayDar es Salaam $31Halong Bay $27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dar es Salaam
For Dar es Salaam, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Dar es Salaam Old Town Walking and Food Tour With Transfers: $70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Halong Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Halong Bay.
- Halong Bay Luxury Dinner Cruise - Ambassador: $37
- Sunset and Bioluminescent Kayaking Tour in Lan Ha Bay with Dinner: $37
- Authentic Hanoi Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $39
- From Halong Harbor: Luxury Dinner Yacht Cruise, Halong City Views: $70
- Luxury Ha Long Bay Yacht Dinner Cruise & Spectacular Views: $71
- 1-day private Hanoi city tour with fun and night street walking food tour: $101
- Best 2D1N Lan Ha Bay Cruise: BBQ dinner, Viet Hai Ancient Village: $210
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dar es Salaam -Halong Bay $16
Tours and Activities in Dar es Salaam
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dar es Salaam.
- Dar es Salaam Walking Tour Old Town, History and Hidden Gems: $15
- Nightlife and Local Food Experience in Dar es Salaam: $20
- Dar es Salaam Swahili City Walking Tour: $25
- Dar es Salaam Masaki Walking Tuk-Tuk Fish Market & Sunset Tour: $30
- Dar es Salaam City Tour: Experience & Insights Tanzanian culture: $41
- Private Sinda Island Tour Snorkeling Swimming and Nature Walk: $65
- Private Mbudya Island Retreat Adventure from Dar Es Salaam: $82
- Zanzibar Spice Farm and Stone Town Tour: $90
- Dar es Salaam Full-Day City Tour and Tanzanian Food Experience: $90
- Dar es Salaam City Tour - Everyday: $97
- Dar es Salaam City Tour & 360 Degree Revolving Dining Experience: $99
- Dar es Salaam City Walking tour - Explore the Life of the Local People!: $100
Tours and Activities in Halong Bay
Here are a few actual costs in Halong Bay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Boat Tour Lan Ha Bay & Viet Hai Ancient Village from Cat Ba: $59
- 1 Day Cruise - Halong Bay - Lan Ha Bay - More Than 10 Options: $138
- 1 Day Ha Long & Ti Top Island on 3* Cruise: $145
- 1 Day Ha Long & Ti Top Island on 3* Cruise: $39
- 1 Day Ha Long & Ti Top Island on 5* Cruise: $51
- 1-Day Ha Long Bay Exploring with Heritage Signature Cruise: $60
- 1-Day Halong Luxury Cruise,Buffet Meal,Sunset Party,Cave & Island: $53
- 2 Day 1 Night Luxury Azura Cruise through Halong & Lan Ha Bay: $208
- 2 Day Guided Cruise Tour in Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi: $201
- 2 Day Halong and Lan Ha Bay Cruise from Halong Port: $226
- 2 Days 1 Night Celina 6 Star Luxury Cruise Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay: $299
- 2 Days 1 Night Halong Bay Classic Wooden Cruise: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDar es Salaam $7.49Halong Bay $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Halong Bay, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Halong Bay much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dar es Salaam is in Africa and Halong Bay 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 Halong Bay would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Halong Bay 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 Dar es Salaam would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dar es Salaam than you might in Halong Bay.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Dar es Salaam Expensive? and Is Halong Bay 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.