A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Dar es Salaam vs. Kampala for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Dar es Salaam or Kampala?

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 Kampala can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Kampala?

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.

Kampala

Kampala is the capital of Uganda in the South part of the country near Lake Victoria. It is the largest city in Uganda, with a population of over two million people. This city is very safe and the locals are known to be very kind and approachable.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Camping Tours in Uganda, and The Best Safaris in Uganda.


Which place is cheaper, Kampala 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.

The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $477, while the average daily cost in Kampala is $77. 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 Kampala in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dar es Salaam $437
    Kampala $60
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dar es Salaam $874
    Kampala $120
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Kampala

Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Kampala? 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 Dar es Salaam


Hotels in Kampala


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 Kampala Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dar es Salaam $13
    Kampala $2.54

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dar es Salaam

Also for Dar es Salaam, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • 1 Day Classic Train Transfer To Mikumi National Park: $315
  • Classic Day trip: Train Transfer To Mikumi National Park: $315
  • Dar Es Salaam - Airport Transfers & City Centre Shuttles: $50
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour. All Must See Things (private Guide And Transfer) 9 Hrs : $190
  • Dar Es Salaam Transfer from Airport Hotel Ferry or Train : $60
  • Dar es Salaam Airport Transfer: $75
  • Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar: Airport Transfer to the Hotel: $70
  • 1 Day Mikumi Safari (SGR VIP Train Transfer): $356
  • 1 Day Mikumi Safari (SGR VIP Train Transfer): $380
  • Dar es salaam-Morogoro-Dar es salaam transfer by luxury car.: $200
  • Dar es salaam-Morogoro-Dar es salaam transfer with comfortable car: $192
  • Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kampala

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


  • Taxi around town
    $4.06

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kampala

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kampala:

  • Full-Day Kampala Trip with Lunch and Hotel Transfers: $200
  • Guided City Tour with Private Transfers: $145
  • Entebbe kampala airport transfers: $100
  • Private Transfer from Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda to Kampala: $70
  • Private Transfer from Kampala to Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda: $70
  • Entebbe Airport pickup (Entebbe - Kampala) reliable 24/7 transfer: $48
  • Entebbe Kampala Airport Transfer: $45
  • Airport Transfer from Entebbe to Kampala: $30

Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Kampala?

Prices for flights to both Kampala 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Dar es Salaam $32
    Kampala $15

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:

  • Taste of Tanzania Cooking Class and Food Tour: $20
  • Tanzania: traditional Swahili cooking class: $45

Typical Food Prices in Kampala

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


  • Lunch for 2
    $1.63

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kampala

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

  • Like a local cooking Tours: $26
  • Private Cooking Class with a Local Host: $47
  • Cooking Class With a Local (Kampala, Jinja, Entebbe - 4 Hours): $56
  • Three-Hour Food Tour: $71
  • Momma Ida's Ugandan Cuisine Cooking Tour: $75
  • Kampala City Walking Food Tour: $77
  • Night-time Boda Boda Street Food Tour: $91
  • Fishing Village Food Tour & Luwombo Stop: $102
  • Amazing Race - Food Tour: $103
  • Kampala cooking tour: $133
  • uganda fun time (bed,breakfast, lunch and dinner ) : $154
  • Kampala food tour: $205

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dar es Salaam -
    Kampala -

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 Center: Walking Tour: $24
  • Dar Es Salam City: Children's Homes Visit & Donation Tour.: $24
  • Dar Es Salaam :City Historical & Sightseeing Guided Tour.: $24
  • City Walking Tour And Street Food Tasting.: $25
  • Dar es salaam City Guided Walking Tour Experience: $27
  • Dar es Salaam Walking Tour: History and Hidden Treasures: $30
  • Dar Es Salaam Airport Layovers Guided Tour: $31
  • Private Insightful City Tour of Dar es Salaam: $32
  • Dar es Salaam City Sightseeing And Discovery Guided Tour..: $34
  • Dar Es Salaam City Guided Sightseeing Tour By Car: $35
  • Dar Es Salaam:Shore Excursion Tour And Street Food Tasting.: $35
  • Walking Tour Dar es Salaam City: $41

Tours and Activities in Kampala

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

  • Discover the Magic of Uganda's Equator on a 1-Day Tour: $136
  • Equator Tour: $100
  • Jinja and source of the Nile Experience : $260
  • ½-Day Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Tour : $130
  • 1 Day Jinja & Source of the Nile River tour (female guided): $231
  • 1 Day Jinja source of the Nile tour: $290
  • 1 Day Jinja tour and the source of River Nile: $150
  • 1 Day Kampala City Tour: $120
  • 1 Day Ngamba Island chimpanzee tour: $290
  • 1 Day Uganda Equator Tour.: $130
  • 1 day Mabamba (Shoebill) bird watching tour - Shoebill & canoe tour: $205
  • 1 day Uganda Equator Experience : $200

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dar es Salaam $7.72
    Kampala -

Sample the Local Flavors in Kampala

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Kampala:

  • Entebbe and club,pub and bar crawl experiences: $35
  • Kampala Pub Crawl | Uganda | 4 hours: $65
  • Kampala Bar Crawl, Beer Tasting and Street Food (6 Hours): $71


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Kampala, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Kampala much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Kampala would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kampala 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 Kampala.

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 Kampala Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Kampala?

Dar es Salaam has a larger population, and is about 99% larger than the population of Kampala. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Kampala, 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.