Which place is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta 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.
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Should you visit Dar es Salaam or Puerto Vallarta?
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 Vallarta can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Puerto Vallarta?
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 Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta remains a popular tourist destination with Americans, particularly during spring break when students flock to the area. The area is quite beautiful and has many gorgeous beaches, interesting jungles and waterfalls nearby, and no shortage of luxury resorts and four star restaurants. Many of the locals speak English and are friendly and open to helping tourists with directions or general information. Puerto Vallarta's popularity means that its prices are some of the highest in Mexico, particularly during holidays when the area can get quite crowded.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Mexico, and The Best Luxury Tours to Mexico.
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Dar es Salaam Prices
Tanzania PricesPuerto Vallarta Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDar es Salaam $458Puerto Vallarta $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $458, while the average daily cost in Puerto Vallarta is $139. 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 Vallarta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDar es Salaam $420Puerto Vallarta $62
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDar es Salaam $840Puerto Vallarta $124
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Puerto Vallarta
Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Puerto Vallarta? 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 Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dar es Salaam $13Puerto Vallarta $19
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: $35
- Half-Day City Tour with Transfers: $59
- Dar es Salaam Airport Transfers Comfortable Ride to Your Hotel: $60
- Private Airport Transfers in Dar: $60
- Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
- Transfer from dar es salaam to morogoro: $203
- Private VIP Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with two way transfers: $249
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Vallarta:
- Private Roundtrip Transfer Airport Hotel or Airbnb up to 12px: $290
- Diva Tours VIP Airport Round-Trip Transfer San Pancho-Sayulita: $280
- Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) to Punta de Mita - Private Roundtrip Transfer: $278
- NAYARIT VIP Round Trip Transfers Airport - Bucerias - Airport: $209
- Privat Transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport PVR to Punta de Mita: $182
- Puerto Vallarta Port to Puerto Vallarta RoundTripPrivate Transfer: $142
- Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) to Puerto Vallarta Port-RoundTrip Private Transfer: $142
- Private Transfer from PVR to Puerto Vallarta / Punta de Mita / Sayulita: $140
- Private Transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) to Puerto Vallarta hotels: $139
- Punta de Mita to Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) - Private Departure Transfer: $138
- Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) to Puerto Vallarta - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $137
- Airport Transfer Puerto Vallarta: $135
Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Puerto Vallarta?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Vallarta 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 $30Puerto Vallarta $63
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:
- Dar es Salaam Night Tour with Local Dinner and Private Transfers: $49
- Dar es Salaam Old Town Walking and Food Tour With Transfers: $70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Vallarta
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Puerto Vallarta.
- Old Town Taco Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $49
- Taste of Pitillal Food Tour by Vallarta Food Tours: $50
- Bucerias Taco Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $50
- Ultimate Taco Tour in Puerto Vallarta with Vallarta Food Tours: $55
- Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $59
- 3-Hour Guided Food Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $60
- Taco102 - dinner taco walk - all inclusive: $63
- Puerto Vallarta Guided Food Tour with 8 Locals Favorites Tastings: $65
- Seafood Lover's Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $65
- Vallarta Flavours Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $69
- Vallarta Tales Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $69
- Versalles de Noche Dinner Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dar es Salaam -Puerto Vallarta $18
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 Architectural Guided Walking Tour and History: $22
- Dar es Salaam Swahili City Walking Tour: $25
- Dar es Salaam City Tour: Experience & Insights Tanzanian culture: $41
- Private Mbudya Island Retreat Adventure from Dar Es Salaam: $83
- Private Dar es salaam City Tour: History,Culture & Local Life: $85
- Dar es Salaam City Tour - Everyday: $97
- Dar es Salaam City Walking tour - Explore the Life of the Local People!: $100
- Full Day Private Tour in Dar es Salaam City: $104
- Zanzibar Spice Tour: $109
- Stone Town & Spice Tour: $110
- Bongoyo Island Full Day Tour from Dar Es Salaam: $120
- Bagamoyo Tour: $120
Tours and Activities in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Vallarta are as follows:
- 1/2 Day Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden tour: $60
- 10 Zip Line Tour and Tequila Suspension Bridge Walk: $112
- 2 Hour and 30 Minutes Walking Tour in 5 De Diciembre: $57
- 4-Hour Whale Watching Cruise in Puerto Vallarta: $119
- ATV Adventure from Puerto Vallarta: $110
- ATV Adventure in Puerto Vallarta (Single): $107
- ATV All-Terrain Adventure in Punta Mita: $254
- ATV Doble in Puerto Vallarta Mountain and Waterfall Tour: $140
- ATV Jorullo Bridge Tour: $194
- ATV Jungle and River Adventure in Puerto Vallarta (3.5 Hours): $169
- ATV Single Jungle Adventure-Waterfalls, Tequila & Local Culture": $107
- ATV Tour Rio Cuale Sierra Madre Mountains and tequila tasting: $78
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDar es Salaam $7.42Puerto Vallarta $24
Sample the Local Flavors in Puerto Vallarta
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Puerto Vallarta:
- Puerto Vallarta Pub Crawl: $22
- Mexican Wine Tasting Experience: $50
- Brewery Bus Tour from Mexico: $85
- Secret Agave Bar Crawl in Vallarta: $98
- Cachasol Tequila Tasting & Raicilla Distillery Tour: $109
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Puerto Vallarta, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Vallarta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dar es Salaam is in Africa and Puerto Vallarta is in North America, 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 Vallarta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Vallarta 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 Vallarta.
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 Vallarta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Puerto Vallarta?
Dar es Salaam has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Puerto Vallarta. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Puerto Vallarta, 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.
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.