A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Dar es Salaam vs. Mexico City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Dar es Salaam or Mexico City?

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 Mexico City can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Mexico City?

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.

Mexico City

Mexico City is one of the largest and most populated cities in the world. There are an estimated 26 million people living in the greater Mexico City metropolitan area. The area is about 60 kilometers by 40 kilometers and is surrounded by tall mountains and volcanoes on three sides. Mexico City proper has about 8.8 million people and is the capital of the country. More than a third of the country's economy is based here, making it the wealthiest city in all of Latin America.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.


Which place is cheaper, Mexico City 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.

  • Dar es Salaam Prices
    Tanzania Prices
    Mexico City Prices
    Mexico Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Dar es Salaam $493
    Mexico City $212

The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $493, while the average daily cost in Mexico City is $212. 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 Mexico City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dar es Salaam $452
    Mexico City $38
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dar es Salaam $904
    Mexico City $76
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Mexico City

Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Mexico City? 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 Dar es Salaam


Hotels in Mexico City


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 Mexico City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dar es Salaam $14
    Mexico City $12

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dar es Salaam

Also for Dar es Salaam, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfer/Airport pick up and drop off: $192
  • Private Transfer from Dar El Salaam to Julius Nyerere Airport (DAR): $106
  • Ferry Tickets to Zanzibar with Transfers.: $120
  • Private Layover Tour with Airport Transfer: $120
  • Dar es Salaam Airport Transfers Comfortable Ride to Your Hotel: $60

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Mexico City

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Mexico City:


  • Metro
    $1.09
  • Uber Ride
    $3.80

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mexico City

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

  • Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Visit with Transfer: $599
  • Teotihuacan: Private Balloon Flight with optional Transfer: $293
  • Shared Balloon Flight in Teotihuacan with transfer: $274
  • Mexico Airport (MEX) Tecozautla - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $252
  • Transfer from Mexico City Airport to Puebla: $245
  • Mexico Airport(MEX) to Chignahuapan - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $236
  • CDMX: Fly over Teotihuacan in a hot air balloon, with transfers and breakfast included.: $219
  • Mexico City Private Transfer to or from Airport: $216
  • Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport NLU by Luxury SUV: $203
  • Private Transfer from Mexico City to Pachuca: $192
  • Private Transfer from Pachuca to Mexico City: $192
  • Private Departure Transfer from Toluca City hotels to Toluca airport: $174

Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Mexico City?

Prices for flights to both Mexico City 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Dar es Salaam $33
    Mexico City $43

Typical Food Prices in Mexico City

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


  • Lunch for Two
    $12
  • Coffee and Snacks
    $4.24
  • Dinner for 2
    $25

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mexico City

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

  • Private Street Food Tour Mexico City - Best rated : $35
  • Virtual Mexican Cooking Class (private and personalized): $50
  • San Juan Market Food Tour Exotic Bites & Flavors: $52
  • Coyoacán Market Food Tour Urban Eats & Local Legends: $52
  • Local Markets & Food Tour in Mexico City: $53
  • Art and Food Tour with Lunch: $54
  • Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
  • Mexico City Vegan & Veggie Market Explorer plus Cooking Lesson: $55
  • Private Half-Day Traditional Markets Street Food Tour in Mexico City: $57
  • 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $61
  • Old Town Food Tour of 7 Tastings & Secret Dish: $66
  • Frida Kahlo Museum & Coyoacan Tacos & Food Tour: $69

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dar es Salaam -
    Mexico City $14

Tours and Activities in Dar es Salaam

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dar es Salaam.

  • Bagamoyo Full-Day Tour: Historic Slave Trade Route & Kaole Ruins: $255
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour (Full Day With Private Guide And Car): $140
  • 2 Days 1 Night Bagamoyo Historical Tour : $300
  • Ancient Bagamoyo City Day Tour: $249
  • Bagamoyo Adventure, Historical Tour: $238
  • Bagamoyo Historical Tour - Everyday: $199
  • Bagamoyo Tour: $120
  • Bird Watching Tour to Tegetero Forest 2days 1 night: $205
  • Dar Es Salaam City Tour: $150
  • Dar Es Salaam City tour: $164
  • Dar Es Salaam Local Markets and Village-National Museum Day tour: $150
  • Dar es Salaam City Tour - Everyday: $97

Tours and Activities in Mexico City

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

  • Frida Kahlo Tour with Admission Tickets: $76
  • Hiking Tour on the Iztaccíhuatl Volcano from Puebla (private): $176
  • Mexico City Tour and Visit Chapultepec Castle. Private service: $180
  • Mixology, Food, Wine and Beer Experience in Xochimilco: $99
  • Monarch Butterfly Tour from Mexico City: $220
  • Private Tour Teotihuacan Essentials: $140
  • Private Walking Tour Gems of the Historic Center of Mexico City: $131
  • Private guided tour of the Soumaya Museum : $279
  • Romantic tour in San Andrés Mixquic: $150
  • Sunrise HotAir Balloon Adventure Over Teotihuacan's Pyramids: $160
  • Xochimilco Floating Gardens and Coyoacan Private Tour: $161
  • "Guided Tour Plus" EN Ruins "TEMPLE MAJOR" with OFFICIAL GUIDES: $34

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dar es Salaam $7.97
    Mexico City $19

Sample the Local Flavors in Mexico City

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mexico City:

  • Guided Pub Crawl with Party Games: $23
  • Mexico City Pub Crawl: $23
  • Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience: $94
  • Teotihuacan´s Best Balloon Flight: Pyramids and Brewery tours : $120
  • Cavas Freixenet Wine Tour from Mexico City: $222
  • Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro: $479


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dar es Salaam and Mexico City, we can see that Dar es Salaam is more expensive. And not only is Mexico City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dar es Salaam is in Africa and Mexico City 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 Mexico City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mexico City 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 Mexico City.

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 Mexico City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Mexico City?

Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Dar es Salaam. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Mexico City, 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.