A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Arusha vs. Porto for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Arusha or Porto?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Arusha and Porto 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: Arusha or Porto?

Arusha

Arusha is a city in East Africa's Tanzania, located at the base of volcanic Mt. Meru. It’s a gateway to safari destinations and to Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, lying some 100 kilometers northeast. To the west lies Serengeti National Park, home to wildlife including lions, rhinoceros, giraffes and leopards. Annual migrations feature huge herds of wildebeests crossing its plains. Arusha is Tanzania’s gateway to the northern circuit of stellar national parks and the starting point of many a memorable safari. It’s also a large, sprawling city which offers a nice break from the rigors of life on the African road – it has excellent places to stay and eat and, for the most part, it’s lush and green and enjoys a temperate climate throughout the year. Arusha is a great destination, and you're sure to enjoy your time here, no matter what your interests are.

Porto

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. It is also the capital of the Northern Region and a hub for commercial and industrial activity. The city is not as large as you might expect, with a population of only about 300,000 residents, but the metropolitan area has a population of about 2.5 million. This includes nearby cities such as Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Tanzania, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Tanzania, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Portugal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal.


Which place is cheaper, Porto or Arusha?

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 Arusha is $201, while the average daily cost in Porto is $187. 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 Arusha and Porto in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Arusha $134
    Porto $84
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Arusha $268
    Porto $168
Compare Hotels in Arusha and Porto

Looking for a hotel in Arusha or Porto? 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 Arusha


Hotels in Porto


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: Arusha Hotel Prices and Porto Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Arusha $14
    Porto $24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arusha

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

  • Private Transfer from Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport (KIA): $161
  • Kilimanjaro Airport to Arusha City Private Transfer: $120
  • Kilimanjaro Airport Pick Up & Drop Off | Private Transfer Service: $77
  • Kilimanjaro Airport Transfer to Moshi: $65
  • Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha City Center Transfer: $60
  • Kilimanjaro Airport and Arusha Private Transfer: $59
  • Arusha Airport & Hotel Transfers: $40

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto

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

  • Transfer:Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport(OPO) to Porto City: $23
  • Transfer from Porto to Coimbra visiting Aveiro, half day: $118
  • Transfer from Porto Airport to Porto City Hotels : $24
  • Transfer Porto to Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport: $21
  • Transfer Oporto - Aeroport / Up to 4 passengers: $30
  • Transfer & chauffeur Service: $32
  • Service Transfer Airport to Porto or Vila Nova de Gaia: $64
  • São Pedro to Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport (GRU)-Departure Transfer: $126
  • Private transfer from Porto to Porto Airport: $48
  • Private transfer from Porto to Braga or Guimarães: $144
  • Private transfer from Oporto to Lisbon or Lisbon to Oporto: $269
  • Private transfer between Porto and Algarve with 1 stop: $558

Is it cheaper to fly into Arusha or Porto?

Prices for flights to both Porto and Arusha 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
    Arusha $43
    Porto $74
Typical Food Prices in Arusha

For Arusha, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • A Quick Lunch (for 2)
    $2.23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Arusha

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

  • Traditional Tanzania Cooking Class & Food Market Tour: $43
  • NGO Lifted Strong - Traditional Tanzanian Cooking Class: $50

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Porto

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

  • Pastel de Nata Cooking Class Antero de Quental: $42
  • Porto Walking Food Tour: $66
  • Bolhão Market Guided Food Tour: $78
  • Semi - Private Oporto Food Tour : $83
  • Craft Beer & Food Tour in Porto: $83
  • Traditional Portuguese Cooking Class in Porto with Chef Maria: $89
  • Semi Private Oporto Fado Show with Dinner: $90
  • Porto Heritage Night Tour With Fado Show And Dinner Included: $94
  • Porto Food & Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch or Dinner Option: $94
  • Porto Food Tour of 8 Tastings: Custard Tart, Bifana & Hidden Gems: $95
  • Private Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $96
  • Fado Show with Dinner in a Traditional Fado House: $102

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Arusha $47
    Porto $30

Tours and Activities in Arusha

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

  • Arusha National Park Guided Day Tour From Arusha: $290
  • Marangu waterfall & Coffee making Cultural Tour | BURIGI CHATO SAFARIS CO LTD : $150
  • Materuni Waterfalls & Coffee making Cultural Tour | BURIGI CHATO SAFARIS LTD : $167
  • Materuni Waterfalls, Visiting Chagga Village, CoffeeTour Kikuletwa Hotsprings: $100
  • 1 Day Tour Hot Spring (Majimoto): $80
  • 2 Day Mount Meru Private Camping Tour from Arusha: $200
  • A Day at Materuni Waterfalls and Coffee Tour in Mt Kilimanjaro : $160
  • Amazing Lake Duluti Day Trip Experience: $70
  • Arusha African Shopping Tour: $100
  • Arusha City town tour: $101
  • Arusha Full Day Tour to Waterfall and Coffee Tour: $140
  • Arusha Guided Walking City Tour: Culture, History & Local Markets: $20

Tours and Activities in Porto

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.

  • Douro Valley private tour full day : $263
  • Self Guided Tour in Porto with 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.58
  • Self-Guided Tour Adventure Discovering Porto: $1.17
  • Walking Tour - History of Tiles in Porto: $57
  • 1 Day Tour to Douro Valley from Porto: $227
  • 1 Day Tour to Passages and Bridge 516 Arouca: $111
  • 3 Hour Complete Porto City Tour: $237
  • 3 Hour Porto Essential Private Tour: $54
  • 3 Hour Tuk tuk Tour in Porto: $215
  • 3-Hour Cano-Rafting Tour on the Paiva River: $48
  • 3-Hour Guided Walking Tour of Porto: $36
  • 3-Hour Porto Highlights on a Electric Bike Guided Tour: $53

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Arusha $11
    Porto $22

Sample the Local Flavors in Porto

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:

  • Wine Experience Museum with 3 Wine Tastings: $24
  • Private visit with wine tasting in Alijó Douro: $24
  • Pub Crawl Porto: $26
  • Flavours of Portugal – Wine Tastings at WOW Wine School: $30
  • Taylor's Port Cellars Visit & Port Wine Tasting: $30
  • Halloween Pub Crawl 4 bars, 1 club, Scary Games & 7 Drinks: $30
  • Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $33
  • Porto Wine Tasting with GUIDED TOUR: $36
  • Porto City Tour with Wine Tasting: $41
  • 5 Port Wine Tasting with pairings: $42
  • Luxury Yacht Cruise with Wine Tasting & Snacks: $54
  • Port and Douro Wine Walking Tour With 10 Wine Tastings: $54


When comparing the travel costs between Arusha and Porto, we can see that Arusha is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Arusha is in Africa and Porto is in Europe, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Arusha Expensive? and Is Porto Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Arusha or Porto?

Arusha has a larger population, and is about 37% larger than the population of Porto. When comparing the sizes of Arusha and Porto, 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.