Which place is cheaper, Queenstown 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 Queenstown?
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 Queenstown can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Queenstown?
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.
Queenstown
Queenstown is a popular tourist destination on New Zealand's South Island. It is beautifully surrounded by the Southern Alps and sits on the banks of Lake Wakatipu. Across the lake you will find a stunning view of the Remarkables, a dramatic mountain range. The town itself is quite touristy, but prices still remain reasonable. There are options for all travel budgets, whether you're a backpacker hoping to save a few dollars or a family looking for some luxury accommodation. Despite its natural and tranquil setting, Queenstown is actually very much a party town, particularly during the peak seasons. Don't be surprised to find people out enjoying themselves until the early hours of the morning. If you're not into the party scene and are hoping to get a decent night's sleep, consider staying a little outside of town. About an hour outside of Queenstown you'll find Wanaka, which is a much smaller and peaceful town without the party scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Bicycle Tours in New Zealand, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand.
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Dar es Salaam Prices
Tanzania PricesQueenstown Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDar es Salaam $463Queenstown $123
The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $463, while the average daily cost in Queenstown is $123. 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 Queenstown in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDar es Salaam $424Queenstown $52
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDar es Salaam $848Queenstown $104
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Queenstown
Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Queenstown? 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 Queenstown Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dar es Salaam $13Queenstown $9.63
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
- Private Transfer from Dar El Salaam to Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR): $50
- Dar Es Salaam Transfer from Airport Hotel Ferry or Train: $55
- Half-Day City Tour with Transfers: $59
- Dar es Salaam Airport Transfers Comfortable Ride to Your Hotel: $60
- Private Airport Transfers in Dar: $60
- Private Layover Tour with Airport Transfer: $118
- Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
- Transfer/Airport pick up and drop off: $192
- Private VIP Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with two way transfers: $250
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Queenstown
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Queenstown:
- Tasman Glacier Helihike with Flight Transfers: $1,016
- Milford Sound Cruise with Helicopter Transfer: $901
- Queenstown to Wanaka Transfer: $218
- Queenstown/Wanaka Airport Transfer: $200
- One way transfer to Remarkable or Coronet Peak Ski Fields: $186
- Private Transfer from Wanaka to Queenstown Airport: $169
- From Cardrona Ski/Snowboard Rentals & Transfer: $165
- Queenstown to Mt Cook One Way Scenic Transfer: $121
- Queenstown Premium Private Airport and Departure Transfers: $102
- Queenstown private transfer: $76
- Queenstown Airport to Towncenter Transfer: $74
- QUEENSTOWN Best Private Airport Transfer:1 Way from/to Hotel: $51
Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Queenstown?
Prices for flights to both Queenstown 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 $31Queenstown $59
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 Old Town Walking and Food Tour With Transfers: $70
- Market Tour & Cooking Class in Morogoro including Hotel Transfers: $98
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Queenstown
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Queenstown.
- Bar Crawl with 5 Free Shots and Pizza: $17
- Skyline Queenstown Gondola with Lunch or Dinner: $80
- Dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm and Cruise from Queenstown: $108
- Wine & Food Tour, Scenic Tastings & Paired Lunch: $129
- Queenstown Wine & Food Tour: Scenery, Tastings & Delicious Lunch!: $157
- Queenstown Dinner & Wine Experience (Adults Only) 3 Iconic Venues: $280
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dar es Salaam -Queenstown $20
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 Masaki Walking Tuk-Tuk Fish Market & Sunset Tour: $30
- Dar es Salaam City Tour: Experience & Insights Tanzanian culture: $40
- Private Sinda Island Tour Snorkeling Swimming and Nature Walk: $65
- Dar es Salaam Full-Day City Tour and Tanzanian Food Experience: $90
- Dar es Salaam City Tour - Everyday: $97
- From Dar es Salaam Pugu Hills Eco Cultural Tourism Day Trip: $99
- Dar es Salaam City Tour & 360 Degree Revolving Dining Experience: $99
- Dar es Salaam City Walking tour - Explore the Life of the Local People!: $100
- Full Day Private Tour in Dar es Salaam City: $104
- Stone Town & Spice Tour: $110
- Bagamoyo Tour: $120
Typical Entertainment Prices in Queenstown
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Queenstown are as follows:
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Skyline Gondola (for 2)$28
Tours and Activities in Queenstown
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Queenstown are as follows:
- 25-Minute Remarkables Helicopter Tour from Queenstown: $246
- 5 Day South Island New Zealand Private Tour from Queenstown: $2,767
- Arrowtown & Queenstown Kiwi Special Tour, Local discovery tour.: $57
- Arrowtown and Wanaka Highlights Tour from Queenstown: $120
- Boutique Winery Half-Day Tour & Vineyard Platter-Style Lunch: $158
- Cardrona Valley Mountain Quad Experience from Wanaka: $206
- Coach Farm Tour and Milford Sound Nature Cruise from Queenstown: $201
- Coronet Peak Snow Sightseeing Tour: $203
- Create Your Own Gin Experience in Queenstown: $143
- Cromwell: Lake Dunstan & Carrick Winery: Boat and eBike Adventure: $215
- Cromwell: Lake Dunstan Discovery Day Tour by eBike with Shuttle: $109
- Cruise Milford Small Group Day Tour from Queenstown: $234
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDar es Salaam $7.49Queenstown $8.41
Sample the Local Flavors in Queenstown
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Queenstown:
- Ice Bar Crawl: $23
- Marlborough Wine Tour: Self-Guided GPS Audio Driving Guide: $23
- Kinross Winery: Valli Wine Tasting Experience: $26
- Queenstown NZ Wine Tour: Self-Guided Drive or Bike Audio Guide: $29
- Bike The Wineries (Full-Day) - Bike & Wine Tour: $66
- Bike & Wine Tour: Arrowtown to Valley of the Vines: $70
- Queenstown & Gibbston Valley: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tours: $73
- Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting: $95
- Queenstown's Original Premium Half-Day Wine Tasting Tour: $101
- Small Group Highlights Tour with Wine Tasting: $129
- Classic Wine Tour: $135
- Arrowtown Wine Tour: $141
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Queenstown, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Queenstown much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dar es Salaam is in Africa and Queenstown is in Pacific, 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 Queenstown would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Queenstown 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 Queenstown.
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 Queenstown Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Queenstown?
Dar es Salaam has a larger population, and is about 260 times larger than the population of Queenstown. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Queenstown, 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.