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

Should you visit Dar es Salaam or Pretoria?

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 Pretoria can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Dar es Salaam or Pretoria?

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.

Pretoria

Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Safaris in Tanzania, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Pretoria 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.

The average daily cost (per person) in Dar es Salaam is $493, while the average daily cost in Pretoria is $64. 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 Pretoria in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dar es Salaam $452
    Pretoria $27
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dar es Salaam $904
    Pretoria $54
Compare Hotels in Dar es Salaam and Pretoria

Looking for a hotel in Dar es Salaam or Pretoria? 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 Pretoria


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.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dar es Salaam $14
    Pretoria $13

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria

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

  • Sun City & Pilanesberg Transfers: $250
  • Sun City Private Transfer: $246
  • Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $65
  • Airport transfers,door to door shuttle: $53
  • Pretoria to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) - Departure Private Transfer: $43
  • Airport transfers, door to door .private transfers: $41
  • Private Transfer from JHB Airport to Hotels and Around Sandton: $39

Is it cheaper to fly into Dar es Salaam or Pretoria?

Prices for flights to both Pretoria 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
    Pretoria $27

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pretoria

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

  • Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $113

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dar es Salaam -
    Pretoria $15

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 Pretoria

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

  • Constitutional Hill and Soweto Half Day Tour.: $77
  • Cullinan diamond Mine Day Tour (surface tour): $92
  • Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Guided Tour( Safari Experience) : $194
  • 2 Days Historical Cultural and Sightseeing Tour in Johannesburg : $259
  • 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $97
  • 2-Day Johannesburg, Soweto and Pretoria Guided Tour: $185
  • 3 tours/ cradle human kind caves and Lesedi Cultural village : $155
  • 3-Day Private Tour Johannesburg - See everything : $230
  • 5 Hour Lesedi Cultural Village Tour: $111
  • Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $89
  • Aha Lesedi Cultural Village tour: $169
  • Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: $212

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dar es Salaam $7.97
    Pretoria $33


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

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 Pretoria Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Dar es Salaam or Pretoria?

Dar es Salaam has a larger population, and is about 67% larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Dar es Salaam and Pretoria, 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.