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

Should you visit Dar es Salaam or Puerto Princesa?

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 Puerto Princesa can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Puerto Princesa?

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.

Puerto Princesa

The island of Palawan is known the Philippines' last frontier and its capital, Puerto Princesa, is considered the greenest city in the Philippines. With plenty of land that has yet to be explored and inundated with tourists, Puerto Princesa, also known as "The City of the Living God," is a nature buff's dream. Whether you want to swim with starfish, walk among the mangrove treetops, or visit the world's largest saltwater crocodile at the Palawan Nature Conservation Center, Puerto Princesa and its surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities to get into the great wide open.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa 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 $462, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $80. 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 Puerto Princesa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dar es Salaam $424
    Puerto Princesa $22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dar es Salaam $848
    Puerto Princesa $44
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Puerto Princesa

Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Puerto Princesa? 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 Puerto Princesa


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 Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dar es Salaam $13
    Puerto Princesa $47

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dar es Salaam

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

  • Zanzibar Airport Shared Taxi Transfer to Any Hotel: $10
  • Transfer from dar es salaam to morogoro: $203
  • Private VIP Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with two way transfers: $250
  • Private Airport Transfers in Dar: $60
  • Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR) Private Transfer to Dar es Salaam: $50
  • Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
  • Private Layover Tour with Airport Transfer: $120
  • Half-Day City Tour with Transfers: $59
  • Dar es Salaam Airport Transfers Comfortable Ride to Your Hotel: $60
  • Airport Transfers To/from Dar Es Salaam City Center Or To/from Your Hotel: $85

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa

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

  • Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
  • Private Transfer to El Nido: $169
  • Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $160
  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
  • Van Transfers to/from Sabang or Astoria: $116
  • Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
  • Puerto Princesa Palawan Private Transfers - Airport Transfers: $27
  • Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
  • Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
  • Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18

Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Puerto Princesa?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa 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 $31
    Puerto Princesa $31

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Princesa

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

  • Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $27
  • Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $32
  • Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
  • Firefly Watching with Dinner: $39
  • Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $53
  • Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $59
  • Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $80
  • Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $87
  • Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $116

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dar es Salaam -
    Puerto Princesa $6.27

Tours and Activities in Dar es Salaam

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dar es Salaam.

  • 2 Days 1 Night Bagamoyo Historical Tour: $300
  • Bagamoyo Adventure, Historical Tour: $238
  • Bagamoyo Full-Day Tour: Historic Slave Market & Kaole Ruins: $280
  • Bagamoyo Historical Tour - Everyday: $199
  • Bagamoyo Tour: $120
  • Car Tour to Mikumi National Park for You: $270
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour: $150
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour (Full Day With Private Guide And Car): $160
  • Dar Es Salaam Local Markets and Village-National Museum Day tour: $150
  • Dar es Salaam Architectural Guided Walking Tour and History: $22
  • Dar es Salaam City Tour - Everyday: $97
  • Dar es Salaam City Tour - Visit all attractive places: $130

Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa

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

  • 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
  • 3d2n ELNIDO Package tour: $280
  • 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
  • Best of Puerto Princesa Palawan Signature 3Day Tour in 1 Package: $195
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
  • El Nido Day Tour: $80
  • From Honda Bay Island Hopping Full-Day Tour: $40
  • Full Day Excursion: UNESCO Underground River Tour: $48
  • Full-Day UNESCO Underground River Tour: $60
  • Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
  • Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
  • Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $53

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dar es Salaam $7.48
    Puerto Princesa $13


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dar es Salaam is in Africa and Puerto Princesa is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Puerto Princesa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa.

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 Puerto Princesa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Puerto Princesa?

Dar es Salaam has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Puerto Princesa, 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.