Which place is cheaper, Merzouga 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 Merzouga?
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 Merzouga can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Merzouga?
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.
Merzouga
Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDar es Salaam $460Merzouga $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $460, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $17. 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 Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDar es Salaam $434Merzouga $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDar es Salaam $868Merzouga $20
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Merzouga? 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 Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dar es Salaam $13Merzouga -
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
- Airport Transfers To/from Dar Es Salaam City Center Or To/from Your Hotel: $85
- 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
- Private Transfer from Dar es Salaam to Dar es Salaam Airport by luxury car: $167
- Dar Es Salaam City Tour. All Must See Things (private Guide And Transfer) 9 Hrs : $190
- Transfer/Airport pick up and drop off: $192
- Dar es salaam-Morogoro-Dar es salaam transfer with comfortable car: $192
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga 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 $18Merzouga $5.92
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 Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
- Day Trip By Camels In Erg Chebbi Dunes, Lunch With Berber Pizza: $76
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- 5 Hour Sunset Tour with Camel Ride and Dinner In Desert: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $104
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $127
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dar es Salaam -Merzouga -
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 Reality Tour: $51
- 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
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Berber Experience Private Sahara Desert Day Trip: $80
- Private Adventure to Merzouga Risani from Erfoud : $142
- Private Desert Tour and Visit to Nomadic Families: $98
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Buggy Experience: $140
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Quad Biking Tour & Sandboarding: $64
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- 1/2 day 4x4 tour of Erg Chebbi: $82
- 2 Hours Merzouga Desert Quad Bike Adventure: $113
- 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $112
- 2-Day Desert Tour with Return to Marrakech: $182
- 3 Days Tour From Marrakech To Sahara Desert Of Merzouga: $86
- 3 Days Tour from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga with Luxury Camp: $218
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDar es Salaam $7.66Merzouga -
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Merzouga, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Merzouga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Merzouga 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 Merzouga.
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 Merzouga 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.