Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Dar es Salaam?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Dar es Salaam or Johannesburg?
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 Johannesburg can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Johannesburg?
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.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, and The Best Eco Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDar es Salaam $447Johannesburg $97
The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $447, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg is $97. 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 Johannesburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDar es Salaam $422Johannesburg $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDar es Salaam $844Johannesburg $112
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg
Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Johannesburg? 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 and Johannesburg Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dar es Salaam $13Johannesburg $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dar es Salaam
Also for Dar es Salaam, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Dar El Salaam to Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR): $74
- Private Transfer from Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR) to Dar El Salaam: $74
- Airport Transfers To/from Dar Es Salaam City Center Or To/from Your Hotel: $85
- Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
- Private Transfer from Dar es Salaam Airport DAR to Dar es Salaam by Luxury Car: $167
- Transfer/Airport pick up and drop off: $192
- Transfer from dar es salaam to morogoro: $203
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- OR Tambo Airport Transfer to Ivory Tree Game Lodge: $437
- OR Tambo Airport Transfer To Mabula Game Lodge: $419
- Airport To Suncity Transfer And Return: $410
- Group safari and Game reserve transfers: $356
- OR Tambo Airport Transfer To Sun City Resort: $297
- OR Tambo Airport transfer to Ukutula Lion Park: $286
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Pretoria hotels: $282
- Private Transfer to Pilanesberg: $246
- OR Tambo to Sun City Transfer : $237
- Private Land Rover transfer to Sun City from Johannesburg and PTA: $198
- Transfers Between OR Tambo and Pilanesburg : $198
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Johannesburg hotels: $197
Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Johannesburg?
Prices for flights to both Johannesburg 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 $18Johannesburg $17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
- Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $50
- Unique street food tour from at least 6 different cultures!: $70
- Zulu Food Cooking & Dining Experience with a local Chef: $75
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $79
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $101
- Lesedi Cultural Village with lunch or dinner cultural food: $101
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dar es Salaam -Johannesburg $21
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 City Tour : $38
- Dar es salaam Reality Tour: $51
- Spice tour & Stone Town Zanzibar secrets with Lunch - Zanzibar: $64
- The Best/Top Rated Cultural City Tour in Dar es Salaam : $85
- Stone Town & Spice Tour: $90
- Tanzania Private Swahili culture experience: $90
- Private Guided City And Spice Tour in Zanzibar: $95
- Dar es Salaam City Tour - Everyday: $97
- Zanzibar Spice Tour: $109
- Dar es Salaam City Tour - Visit all attractive places: $117
- Mnemba island snorkeling tour: $120
- Private Tour in Historical Dar es Salaam with Lunch: $131
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Half-Day Safari Tour of the Magaliesberg Mountains by Zipline: $123
- Private Full Day Johannesburg Historical Tour : $195
- Rhino and Lion Park Safari Tour : $98
- (Meet the Artist)Art Gallery & Street Art tour with lunch: $53
- 10 Days Overland Tour-Johannesburg and Cape Town: $2,736
- 15 Days Johannesburg, Kruger National Park – Cape Town Tour: $4,104
- 3 Day Kruger National Park Private Tour from Johannesburg: $870
- 3 Days 2 Nights Panorama Tour & Kruger National park Safari: $843
- 4-Days Overnight Experience in The Panorama Route & Safari: $1,757
- 6 Days Johannesburg and Kruger National Park Tour: $1,641
- 6 Days of The Best of Johannesburg Experience: $886
- A Day Of Soweto Food & Beer Tour: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDar es Salaam $7.44Johannesburg $4.82
Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:
- Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $8.38
- Wine Tasting: $11
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $228
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Johannesburg much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Johannesburg would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg.
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 Johannesburg Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Johannesburg?
Dar es Salaam has a larger population, and is about 33% larger than the population of Johannesburg. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg, 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.
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.