Which place is cheaper, Masai Mara 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 Masai Mara?
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 Masai Mara can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Masai Mara?
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.
Masai Mara
Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, and The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDar es Salaam $460Masai Mara $111
The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $460, while the average daily cost in Masai Mara is $111. 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 Masai Mara in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDar es Salaam $434Masai Mara $38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDar es Salaam $868Masai Mara $76
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Masai Mara
Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Masai Mara? 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 Masai Mara Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dar es Salaam $13Masai Mara $48
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dar es Salaam
Also for Dar es Salaam, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer from JNIA Airport to Hotels in Dar essalaam: $55
- Private Transfer from Dar El Salaam to Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR): $73
- Dar es Salaam Airport Transfer: $75
- Sunset Cruise - Magic of Zanzibar Sunset With Transfer - Zanzibar: $100
- Luxury Coach - Dar Es Salaam Airport Transfer to the City Centre/Out ( 22 max): $113
- Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
- Private Transfer from Dar es Salaam Airport DAR to Dar es Salaam by Luxury Car: $167
- Dar Es Salaam City Tour.(private Guide And Transfer) 10 Hrs: $200
- Dar es salaam-Morogoro-Dar es salaam transfer by luxury car.: $200
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Airport Transfers: $40
- Private One-Way Nairobi Airport Transfer: $29
Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Masai Mara?
Prices for flights to both Masai Mara 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 $18Masai Mara $34
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show: $91
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dar es Salaam -Masai Mara $61
Tours and Activities in Dar es Salaam
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dar es Salaam.
- Private Insightful City Tour of Dar es Salaam: $25
- WOW AFRICA TANZANIA EAST AFRICA TOUR.: $35
- City Walking Tour And Street Food Tasting.: $41
- City Historical Walking Tour And Street Food.: $41
- Guided Dar es salaam walking tours: $43
- Dar Es Salaam:Shore Excursion Tour And Street Food Tasting.: $46
- Dar es salaam City Tour & Storytelling: $72
- Spice tour & Stone Town Zanzibar secrets with Lunch - Zanzibar: $75
- City Tour: $77
- Dar es salaam full City tour , unforgettable memory: $77
- Tanzania Private Swahili culture experience: $80
- The Best/Top Rated Cultural City Tour in Dar es Salaam : $85
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- 1Day Tour Nairobi Park ,Giraffe Center,karen Blixxen Guided tour: $45
- 3-Days Maasai Mara Camping Safari on 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep: $285
- A day tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $52
- Amboseli Day Tour from Nairobi: $220
- Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
- Day tour to Hell's gate and optional boat ride at lake naivasha : $98
- Day trip - Lake Nakuru National Park Tour From Nairobi: $130
- Full Day Tour Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center: $275
- Giraffe Center, Elephant Orphanage, Beads Center & Bomas of Kenya Tour Nairobi: $115
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $35
- Half Day Tour Elephant Orphanage,Giraffe CenterKobe Beads Factory: $38
- Karen Blixen Museum & Giraffe Centre Half day tour: $90
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDar es Salaam $7.66Masai Mara $27
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Masai Mara, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Masai Mara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Masai Mara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Masai Mara 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 Masai Mara.
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 Masai Mara 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.