Which place is cheaper, Beijing or Zanzibar?
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 Zanzibar or Beijing?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Zanzibar and Beijing can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Zanzibar or Beijing?
Zanzibar
Just off the coast of Tanzania lies an entrancing archipelago known as Zanzibar. This gorgeous string of islands is the land of sultans, palaces beaches and spice-filled markets. Once an important trading center, many restorations have been done in recent years to restore Zanzibar to its ancient grandeur - earning its capital city UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.
Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China and, with 21.5 million people, it is the second most populated city in the world after Shanghai. It is a city that keeps pockets of its history hidden in old neighborhoods or back alleys, despite the constant change and modernization that goes on around it. As the capital city of China, there is plenty of history and culture. You can still get yourself lost in one of the last remaining hutongs, which are old neighborhoods that remain untouched by the city's modernization. The alleys that weave between the old homes are lined with drying clothes, corner markets, and people going about their daily lives the way they have for centuries. Surrounding these hutongs you'll find modern buildings and a booming economy, all threatening to destroying these last bits of Beijing's history. Beijing offers a glimpse into a microcosm that represents the entire country of China. Make sure you give yourself enough time in China to truly experience Beijing. You can pass a lot of time soaking up life in the city, which remains as diverse as the country it resides within.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Tanzania, The Best Cultural Tours in Tanzania, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Zanzibar Prices
Tanzania PricesBeijing Prices
China Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayZanzibar $62Beijing $97
The average daily cost (per person) in Zanzibar is $62, while the average daily cost in Beijing is $97. 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 Zanzibar and Beijing in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personZanzibar $24Beijing $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomZanzibar $48Beijing $86
Compare Hotels in Zanzibar and Beijing
Looking for a hotel in Zanzibar or Beijing? 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: Zanzibar Hotel Prices and Beijing Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Zanzibar $11Beijing $8.35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zanzibar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zanzibar:
- 4h Quad Adventures in Nungwi / Kendwa Transfer inclus: $68
- Airport /Hotel Transfers in Zanzibar: $30
- Airport /Hotel Transfers in Zanzibar (24/7): $29
- Airport Taxi and Hotel Transfer Service in Zanzibar: $20
- Airport Transfer in Zanzibar for Departures: $55
- Airport Transfer to any hotel in Zanzibar: $55
- Airport transfer to Nugwi, Paje and Kiwengwa Hotels: $45
- Airport/port Transfer: $70
- Arrival Private Transfer from Airport to Kendwa Beach Zanzibar: $40
- Arrival Private Transfer from Airport to Nungwi Beach Zanzibar: $40
- Arrival Transfer Zanzibar Airport ZNZ to Zanzibar by Luxury Car: $211
- Jet Ski to Zanzibar with photos and video and transfer included: $90
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Beijing
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Beijing:
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Taxi$5.10
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Train from Airport for Two$7.47
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Taxi to Hotel$8.97
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2 Metro Passes$2.39
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Metro$0.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Beijing
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Beijing:
- 1 Day Pass for Universal Beijing and Private Transfer Package: $230
- 1-Day Beijing Layover Private Tour: Forbidden City with Round Airport transfers: $198
- 1-Day Beijing Layover Tour: Mutianyu Great Wall with Round Airport Transfers: $208
- Acrobatic Show at Red Theater With Private Transfer: $80
- Acrobatics Show with Private Driver Service and Hotel Round Transfer: $105
- Afternoon Bus Transfer to Mutianyu Great Wall + Entry Ticket: $20
- Badaling Night Great Wall Ticket Show and Optional Transfer: $45
- Beijing 2 Days Private Tour with Airport Transfer Options: $26
- Beijing Acrobatics Show And Peking Opera Tour With Transfer: $299
- Beijing Airport Private Transfer with English-Speaking Driver: $33
- Beijing Airport Transfer 24H Flight Tracking and English Driver: $28
- Beijing Airport Transfer From Beijing Downtown Hotel: $28
Is it cheaper to fly into Zanzibar or Beijing?
Prices for flights to both Beijing and Zanzibar 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 dayZanzibar $28Beijing $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zanzibar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zanzibar.
- Authentic Street Food Tours in Stone Town, Zanzibar: $40
- Zanzi Nights Stone Town Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $45
- Zanzibar Spice Farm Tour and Cooking Class With Lunch: $52
- Zanzibar Traditional Cooking Class and Spice Farm: $59
- Spice Farm Zanzibar Cooking Class Authentic Cultural Experience: $65
- Zanzibar Spice Tour & Cooking Class: $69
- Zanzibar Cooking Lesson: $70
- Cooking Class Tour: $75
- Zanzibar Cultural Cuisines Cooking Class & Spice Farm Tour: $75
- Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $77
- Zanzibar Spice and Night Market Cooking and Street Food Tour: $80
- A private half day spice farm with a cooking lesson: $90
Typical Food Prices in Beijing
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Beijing:
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Popcorn$0.90
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Hot Pot Dinner$7.47
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Dumpling Breakfast for Two$2.99
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Watermelon$2.09
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Peking Duck Dinner for 2$18
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Two Popsicles$0.90
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Beijing
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Beijing.
- Online Cooking Class Beijing Dumplings and Cuisine by Sunflowerli Renowned Chef: $20
- Gastronomic Gems of Beijing Shared Walking Food Tour: $20
- Online Cooking Class Handmade Noodles by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Orange Chicken by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Kungpao Chicken: $25
- Beijing Market Tour and Cooking Class with an Executive Chef: $36
- Beijing Food Tour: $40
- Beijing Chinese Home Cooking Class with Local Host: $43
- Hutong Breakfast Food Tour: $45
- Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour: $45
- Temple of Heaven Private Tour w/Option Show &Dinner: $54
- China's Favourite Street Food Cooking Workshop: $55
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Zanzibar $13Beijing $26
Tours and Activities in Zanzibar
Here are a few actual costs in Zanzibar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Stone Town Self Audio Guide Tour With Tourist Map: $6.00
- Safari Blue island of Kwale Adventure: $8.00
- Private Zanzibar Stone Town Heritage Tour: $14
- Zanzibar Private Spice Farm Tour With Optional Lunch: $17
- Stone Town Private Tour in Zanzibar: $17
- Stone Town tour: $18
- Stone Town Guided Walking Tour: Shopping, Culture & History: $18
- Stone Town Walking Tour in Zanzibar with local guide Mohamed,: $20
- Zanzibar Stone Town Walking Tour: $20
- Stone Town Tour: $20
- City tours zanzibar: $20
- Private Stone Town Cultural & Historical Walking Tour - Zanzibar: $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Beijing
Here are a few typical costs in Beijing for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Summer Palace for Two$8.97
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Two Opera Tickets$64
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Temple of Heaven Park Entrance (for 2)$10
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Forbidden City (for 2)$18
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Forbidden City Tickets$18
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Audio Guides at Forbidden City$12
Tours and Activities in Beijing
Here are a few actual costs in Beijing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Jingshan Park QR Ticket with 4 Language Audio Guide: $2.50
- Capital Museum tour includes Ticket: $2.78
- Tian’anmenSquare or Forbidden City Online Ticket Booking: $2.92
- Forbidden City/Palace Museum and Tiananmen Square Entry Ticket: $3.00
- Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City (Palace Museum): Tickets & Tours: $3.00
- Tian'amen Square & Forbidden City Tickets or Guided Group Tour: $3.00
- Jingshan Park Ticket - Panoramic Forbidden City View: $3.00
- Tiananmen Square Ticket Booking: $3.10
- Beijing:Tiananmen Square tickets with guide(optional): $3.19
- Forbidden City Walking Guided Tour w/ Entry Tickets: $3.60
- Tiananmen Square Entry Reservation Ticket: $3.76
- Tiananmen Square Registration Service(Ticket): $3.79
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayZanzibar $6.76Beijing $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Beijing
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Beijing:
- Evening Food Private Tour with Brewery Taproom Hopping at Slow Boat in Beijing: $110
- Tipsy Travel: Beijing Local Food and Bar Crawl night in Hutong: $138
- Beijing Brewery Bike Tour: $199
- Private Changyu Chateau Wine Tasting Tour and Mutianyu Great Wall Visit: $238
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Zanzibar and Beijing, we can see that Beijing is more expensive. And not only is Zanzibar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Zanzibar is in Africa and Beijing 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 Zanzibar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Zanzibar 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 Beijing would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Beijing than you might in Zanzibar.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Zanzibar Expensive? and Is Beijing Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Zanzibar or Beijing?
Beijing has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Zanzibar. When comparing the sizes of Zanzibar and Beijing, 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.
When is the best time to visit Zanzibar or Beijing?
Beijing has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Zanzibar experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Zanzibar or Beijing in the Summer?
Both Beijing and Zanzibar are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Zanzibar throughout the year. Also, the city activities and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Beijing this time of year.
Zanzibar is around the same temperature as Beijing in the summer. The daily temperature in Zanzibar averages around 25°C (77°F) in July, and Beijing fluctuates around 27°C (80°F).
It's quite sunny in Beijing. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Zanzibar. Zanzibar usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Beijing during summer. Zanzibar gets 224 hours of sunny skies, while Beijing receives 224 hours of full sun in the summer.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Beijing. In July, Zanzibar usually receives less rain than Beijing. Zanzibar gets 31 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Beijing receives 176 mm (6.9 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyZanzibar 25°C (77°F)Beijing 27°C (80°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Beijing in the Autumn?
Both Beijing and Zanzibar during the autumn are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Zanzibar because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Furthermore, many travelers come to Beijing for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In the autumn, Zanzibar is much warmer than Beijing. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Zanzibar in October average around 25°C (78°F), and Beijing averages at about 14°C (56°F).
In Beijing, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Zanzibar. In the autumn, Zanzibar often gets more sunshine than Beijing. Zanzibar gets 275 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Beijing receives 227 hours of full sun.
Zanzibar usually gets more rain in October than Beijing. Zanzibar gets 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Beijing receives 19 mm (0.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberZanzibar 25°C (78°F)Beijing 14°C (56°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Beijing in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Zanzibar and Beijing. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Zanzibar year-round. Furthermore, many visitors come to Beijing in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Beijing can get quite cold in the winter. In January, Zanzibar is generally much warmer than Beijing. Daily temperatures in Zanzibar average around 28°C (82°F), and Beijing fluctuates around -4°C (26°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Beijing this time of the year. In Zanzibar, it's very sunny this time of the year. Zanzibar usually receives more sunshine than Beijing during winter. Zanzibar gets 236 hours of sunny skies, while Beijing receives 201 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Zanzibar usually receives more rain than Beijing. Zanzibar gets 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Beijing receives 3 mm (0.1 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryZanzibar 28°C (82°F)Beijing -4°C (26°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Beijing in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Zanzibar as well as Beijing. Zanzibar attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, most visitors come to Beijing for the activities around the city and the natural beauty during these months.
Zanzibar is much warmer than Beijing in the spring. The daily temperature in Zanzibar averages around 27°C (81°F) in April, and Beijing fluctuates around 14°C (57°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Beijing. In the spring, Zanzibar often gets less sunshine than Beijing. Zanzibar gets 155 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Beijing receives 247 hours of full sun.
Zanzibar receives a lot of rain in the spring. Zanzibar usually gets more rain in April than Beijing. Zanzibar gets 269 mm (10.6 in) of rain, while Beijing receives 26 mm (1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilZanzibar 27°C (81°F)Beijing 14°C (57°F)
Typical Weather for Beijing and Zanzibar
| Zanzibar | Beijing | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 28°C (82°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) | -4°C (26°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (82°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | -1°C (30°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (83°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) | 6°C (42°F) | 9 mm (0.4 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (81°F) | 269 mm (10.6 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 26 mm (1 in) |
| May | 26°C (78°F) | 176 mm (6.9 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 29 mm (1.1 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (76°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | 25°C (76°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) |
| Jul | 25°C (77°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 176 mm (6.9 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 27 mm (1.1 in) | 25°C (78°F) | 182 mm (7.2 in) |
| Sep | 25°C (76°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 20°C (69°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (78°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) | 14°C (56°F) | 19 mm (0.7 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (80°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) | -1°C (29°F) | 2 mm (0.1 in) |
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.