Which place is cheaper, Montreal or Zanzibar?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Zanzibar or Montreal?
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 Montreal 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 Montreal?
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.
Montreal
While Quebec City is the political capital of Quebec Province, Montreal is the economic and cultural capital. It's also the second largest city in Canada, with a population of about 1.9 million and 4 million in the metropolitan area. It's the second largest French speaking city in the world behind Paris.
Montreal is a very trendy and vibrant city with an active nightlife and countless activities to enjoy. It's located on an island in the St. Lawrence River and has a humid continental climate. There are four distinct seasons. Summers are warm or hot and humid. Spring and fall are mild and winters are cold and snowy. You can expect about 2 meters of snow every year, but there are also more than 2,000 hours of sunshine annually.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Tanzania, The Best Cultural Tours in Tanzania, The Best Train & Rail Tours in Canada, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayZanzibar $51Montreal $210
The average daily cost (per person) in Zanzibar is $51, while the average daily cost in Montreal is $210. 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 Montreal in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personZanzibar $24Montreal $132
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomZanzibar $48Montreal $264
Compare Hotels in Zanzibar and Montreal
Looking for a hotel in Zanzibar or Montreal? 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 Montreal Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Zanzibar $11Montreal $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zanzibar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zanzibar:
- From Mystery Day Safari with Transfer: $500
- Private VIP Ferry Tickets to Daressalam with two way transfers : $260
- Private Transfer from Zanzibar Airport to Kiwengwa: $200
- Safari blue tour with Lunch and Transfers: $180
- Zanzibar Sunset Dhow Cruise with Transfers.: $149
- Zanzibar:Prison Island,Nakupenda Sandbank Tour with transfer: $141
- Off-Road Quad Bike Adventure with hotel transfer: $138
- Arrival Private Transfer Zanzibar Airport ZNZ to Island by Luxury Car: $125
- Departure Private Transfer from Island to Zanzibar Airport ZNZ by Luxury Sedan: $125
- Ferry Zanzibar :Transfer services: $120
- Jozani Forest and Spice Farm Tour With Transfer: $110
- Fishing Boat Tour with Transfer: $109
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montreal
Also for Montreal, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 8 Passengers Transfer from or to Montreal Airport YUL to Montreal City Center : $223
- Departure Private Transfer: Montreal to Montreal Airport YUL in Business Car: $117
- Departure Private Transfer: Montreal to Montreal Airport YUL in Luxury SUV: $163
- Departure Transfer Montreal to Montreal Airport by Limos or Bus: $153
- Downtown Direct: Montreal's Exclusive Airport Transfer: $79
- Le Terminal Cruise Port to Québec Airport YQB Departure Transfer: $57
- Montreal Best Private Transfer services : $82
- Montreal Private Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL in Business Car: $117
- Montreal Private Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL in Luxury SUV: $163
- Arrival Transfer from International Airport: $65
- Private Departure Transfer to Montreal Airport YUL: $116
- Private One-way Montreal Airport Transfer To/From Montreal: $58
Is it cheaper to fly into Zanzibar or Montreal?
Prices for flights to both Montreal 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 $17Montreal $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zanzibar
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zanzibar.
- Half-Day Kuza Cave Swimming Adventure and Cooking Class: $13
- Authentic Street Food Tours in Stone Town, Zanzibar: $40
- Zanzibar Traditional Cooking Class: $49
- An romantic cooking Lesson + Spice Farm Tour: $55
- Zanzibar Cooking Class [Swahili food test ] and Spice farm Private tour: $59
- Zanzibar Cooking Class & Spice Tour : $59
- Zanzibar Spice farm and Cooking Class: $60
- Local Cooking Class with Spice Tour in Zanzibar: $60
- Walking Spice Farm with Local Cooking Class: $60
- Spice Farm tour & Local cooking lesson with Lunch: $64
- Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $65
- Stone Town Private Food Tour with a Guide: $65
Typical Food Prices in Montreal
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Montreal:
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Tim Hortons breakfast and coffee$9.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montreal
For Montreal, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Le Bateau-Mouche À La Carte Menu Dinner Cruise: $59
- No Diet Club: Walking food Tour with many tastings: $59
- Beyond the Market Food Tour by Spade & Palacio: $74
- Montreal Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $74
- Old Montreal Food & Drink Tour by Local Montreal Food Tours: $103
- Cooking Class and Tasting Menu with Michelin Chef: $130
- Montréal: 5-Course Dinner Cruise with Music & VIP Option: $160
- Personalized Private Food Tour with a Local Foodie: $207
- Cooking Class in Montreal with a Michelin-Star Trained Chef: $224
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Zanzibar $13Montreal $21
Tours and Activities in Zanzibar
Here are a few actual costs in Zanzibar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4 hours Spice Tour in Tanzania: $80
- Fair Tourism In Paje: $27
- Spice Tour & Mangapwani Cave Tour: $80
- Stone City, Spice Farm and Prison Island Full Day Tour: $130
- Stonetown Private Half-day Walking Tour: $35
- Zanzibar Spice Tour : $47
- 10 DAYS MOSHI TO ZANZIBAR BIKE TOUR: $4,286
- 2day Zanzibar adventure: Prison Island & Sandbank (all-incl): $538
- 3 HOURS PRISON ISLAND TOUR IN ZANZIBAR: $60
- 3 Hours Private Stone Town Walking Tour : $30
- 3-Day Selous Game Reserve Safari & Cultural tour with Flight: $1,345
- 3-Hour Private City Tour in Zanzibar Island : $26
Typical Entertainment Prices in Montreal
For Montreal, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Botanical Gardens (family of 4)$54
Tours and Activities in Montreal
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Montreal.
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Montreal self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.31
- Montréal's Mile End to Outremont: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.20
- Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $7.54
- Escape Game and Tour: $8.61
- APP Self-Guided Tours Montreal with Audioguide: $8.74
- Montreal Art Center & Museum Audio Guided Tour: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- McCord Stewart Museum : Entry Ticket: $15
- Montreal Zipline Adventure: $15
- Self-Guided Old Town Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour: $15
- Montreal Old Port: Urban Zipline Ticket: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayZanzibar $6.86Montreal $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Zanzibar
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Zanzibar:
- Pub Crawl & Club Experience: $30
Typical Alcohol Prices in Montreal
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Montreal:
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Vodka$18
Sample the Local Flavors in Montreal
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Montreal:
- Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl: $22
- Guided Bar Crawl with Free Shots and Club Entry: $42
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Zanzibar and Montreal, we can see that Montreal 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 Montreal 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 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 Montreal would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Montreal 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 Montreal Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Zanzibar or Montreal?
Montreal has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Zanzibar. When comparing the sizes of Zanzibar and Montreal, 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 Montreal?
Montreal 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 Montreal in the Summer?
Both Montreal and Zanzibar during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Zanzibar because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
Zanzibar is a little warmer than Montreal in the summer. The daily temperature in Zanzibar averages around 25°C (77°F) in July, and Montreal fluctuates around 21°C (69°F).
In Montreal, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Zanzibar. In the summer, Zanzibar often gets less sunshine than Montreal. Zanzibar gets 224 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montreal receives 276 hours of full sun.
Zanzibar usually gets less rain in July than Montreal. Zanzibar gets 31 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 91 mm (3.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyZanzibar 25°C (77°F)Montreal 21°C (69°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Montreal in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Zanzibar and Montreal. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Zanzibar year-round.
In the autumn, Zanzibar is much warmer than Montreal. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Zanzibar in October average around 25°C (78°F), and Montreal averages at about 8°C (47°F).
In Zanzibar, it's very sunny this time of the year. Zanzibar usually receives more sunshine than Montreal during autumn. Zanzibar gets 275 hours of sunny skies, while Montreal receives 141 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Zanzibar usually receives less rain than Montreal. Zanzibar gets 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 79 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberZanzibar 25°C (78°F)Montreal 8°C (47°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Montreal in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Zanzibar as well as Montreal. Zanzibar attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
It's quite cold in Montreal in the winter. In January, Zanzibar is generally much warmer than Montreal. Daily temperatures in Zanzibar average around 28°C (82°F), and Montreal fluctuates around -10°C (14°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Zanzibar this time of the year. In the winter, Zanzibar often gets more sunshine than Montreal. Zanzibar gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montreal receives 103 hours of full sun.
Zanzibar usually gets around the same amount of rain in January as Montreal. Zanzibar gets 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 74 mm (2.9 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryZanzibar 28°C (82°F)Montreal -10°C (14°F)
Should I visit Zanzibar or Montreal in the Spring?
Both Montreal and Zanzibar are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Zanzibar throughout the year.
Zanzibar is much warmer than Montreal in the spring. The daily temperature in Zanzibar averages around 27°C (81°F) in April, and Montreal fluctuates around 6°C (43°F).
Zanzibar usually receives less sunshine than Montreal during spring. Zanzibar gets 155 hours of sunny skies, while Montreal receives 183 hours of full sun in the spring.
It's quite rainy in Zanzibar. In April, Zanzibar usually receives more rain than Montreal. Zanzibar gets 269 mm (10.6 in) of rain, while Montreal receives 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilZanzibar 27°C (81°F)Montreal 6°C (43°F)
Typical Weather for Montreal and Zanzibar
| Zanzibar | Montreal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 28°C (82°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) | -10°C (14°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (82°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | -9°C (16°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (83°F) | 131 mm (5.2 in) | -2°C (28°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (81°F) | 269 mm (10.6 in) | 6°C (43°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) |
| May | 26°C (78°F) | 176 mm (6.9 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (76°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
| Jul | 25°C (77°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 21°C (69°F) | 91 mm (3.6 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 27 mm (1.1 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) |
| Sep | 25°C (76°F) | 28 mm (1.1 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (78°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) | 8°C (47°F) | 79 mm (3.1 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (80°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) | 2°C (35°F) | 101 mm (4 in) |
| Dec | 27°C (81°F) | 116 mm (4.6 in) | -7°C (20°F) | 99 mm (3.9 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.