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

Should you visit Dar es Salaam or Marrakech?

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

Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Marrakech?

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.

Marrakech

Marrakech is on of the most popular travel destinations in Morocco. It is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat and is located near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains only a few hours from the Sahara Desert. It's a beautiful city that is often referred to as the "Pink City" because of the pale pink color of many of the city's buildings. These striking colors make the city particularly beautiful during the evening hours when the low sun creates a very dramatic lighting.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Dar es Salaam?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $460, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $69. 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 Marrakech in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dar es Salaam $434
    Marrakech $46
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dar es Salaam $868
    Marrakech $92
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Marrakech

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


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 Marrakech Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dar es Salaam $13
    Marrakech $6.30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dar es Salaam

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

  • Sunset Cruise - Magic of Zanzibar Sunset With Transfer - Zanzibar: $100
  • Private Transfer from Dar es Salaam Airport DAR to Dar es Salaam by Luxury Car: $167
  • Private Transfer from Dar El Salaam to Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR): $73
  • Luxury Coach - Dar Es Salaam Airport Transfer to the City Centre/Out ( 22 max): $113
  • Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
  • Dar es salaam-Morogoro-Dar es salaam transfer by luxury car.: $200
  • Dar es Salaam Airport Transfer: $75
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour.(private Guide And Transfer) 10 Hrs: $200
  • Airport Transfer from JNIA Airport to Hotels in Dar essalaam: $55

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech

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

  • Private Transfer From Marrakech To Fez: $441
  • Private Transfer From Fez To Marrakech: $441
  • One way transfer from Fes to Marrakech: $359
  • Private Transfer between Marrakech and Casablanca: $308
  • City to City Transfer - Marrakesh > Merzouga: $300
  • Marrakesh to Casablanca: Private Transfer (English Speaking Driver): $298
  • Transfer Marrakech to Tangier: $283
  • Private Transfer From Casablanca to Marrakesh: $277
  • Private Premium Transfert From / To Marrakech To / From Merzouga: $271
  • Transfert Departure Marrakech City to Casablanca Airport: $265
  • Private Transfer from Marrakech Menara (RAK) Airport to Taroudant: $253
  • Essaouira Day Trip From Marrakech With Private Transfers: $250

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

Prices for flights to both Marrakech 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 $18
    Marrakech $13

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:

  • Private Swahili Cooking Class: $115
  • Swahili food Cooking Experience: $150

Typical Food Prices in Marrakech

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


  • Orange Juice on the Square
    $0.30
  • Breakfast
    $1.20
  • Dates
    $0.60
  • Olives
    $0.90
  • Sandwich
    $1.29
  • Souvenir Spices
    $6.18

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech

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

  • Online Moroccan Cooking Class: $17
  • Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $18
  • Magical dinner in agafay desert with camel ride: $19
  • Marrakech desert: Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner Show: $20
  • Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
  • Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
  • Desert Dinner, Camel Ride, Sunset & Show: $23
  • Dinner in Desert Marrakech and Camel ride at Sunset: $23
  • Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24
  • From Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with Live Show: $25
  • Dinner Magic in Agafay desert with transport from Marrakech: $26
  • Desert Agafay Dinner at Nomad Camp and Camel Ride: $26

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dar es Salaam -
    Marrakech $7.01

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 (Full Day With Private Guide And Car): $150
  • 3-Day Mikumi Safari Adventure: $634
  • 4-Day Gombe Chimpanzee Trekking tour.: $1,600
  • Bagamoyo Historical Tour - Everyday: $199
  • Bagamoyo Historical Tour - Everyday: $187
  • Bird Watching Tour to Tegetero Forest 2days 1 night: $205
  • City Tour in Dar es salaam, Tanzania: $140
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour: $150
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour. All Must See Things (Private Guide and car) Full day: $220
  • Dar Es Salaam Day Trip Tour: $388
  • Dar Es Salaam:Shore Excursion Tour And Street Food Tasting.: $46
  • Dar es Salaam City Tour - Everyday: $97

Typical Entertainment Prices in Marrakech

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Palace Tickets
    $1.99
  • Golf at Atlas Golf
    $56

Tours and Activities in Marrakech

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

  • 3 Day Private Desert Tour From Marrakech To Merzouga Dunes With Camel Trek: $271
  • 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour From Marrakech ending in Fez city: $249
  • Agafay Desert: Three Valley Guided Tour From Marrakech : $21
  • Atlas Mountains Horseback Ride Day Tour From Marrakech : $50
  • Atlas Mountains, Berber Villages & Waterfall Tour: $25
  • Biking Tour in atlas Mountain day trip form Marrakech : $139
  • Desert Agafay and Atlas Mountains Day Tour & Camel ride From Marrakech: $17
  • Experience Moroccan Hammam and Massage: $70
  • Food Tasting Tour in Marrakech medina : $70
  • Full-Day Tour in Atlas Mountain from Marrakech with Lunch: $21
  • Half-Day Quad Bike Experience in Marrakech: $45
  • Historical and Cultural Tour. : $24

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dar es Salaam $7.66
    Marrakech $15

Sample the Local Flavors in Marrakech

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marrakech:

  • Bar Crawl with Local Guide: $28
  • Moroccan wine tasting workshop in Marrakech: $70


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

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 Marrakech Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Marrakech?

Dar es Salaam has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Marrakech. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Marrakech, 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.