Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $549 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

10

Cost of Living Index in Arusha
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Arusha Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$549

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arusha and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arusha and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $549 per month in Arusha vs $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Arusha $549
Austin, TX $2,663

A couple spends around $888 per month in Arusha vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Arusha $888
Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $1,228 per month in Arusha vs $5,603 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Arusha $1,228
Austin, TX $5,603

Arusha is about 79% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arusha sits 59% below the global median, while Austin, TX is 97% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 TZS 8,723

$20.77 $20.77

-83.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 TZS 71.7K

$84.6 $84.6

-67.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 TZS 23.9K

$12.32 $12.32

-25.97%

Cappuccino

$1.70 TZS 4,443

$5.63 $5.63

-69.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 TZS 2,421

$3.72 $3.72

-75.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 TZS 851

$2.50 $2.50

-87.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 TZS 2,653

$8.05 $8.05

-87.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 TZS 7,336

$9.01 $9.01

-68.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 TZS 2,522

$1.12 $1.12

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 TZS 1,798

$3.75 $3.75

-81.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 TZS 4,554

$3.26 $3.26

-46.63%

Eggs

$1.75 TZS 4,573

$4.17 $4.17

-58.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 TZS 5,802

$4.33 $4.33

-48.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 TZS 2,021

$4.34 $4.34

-82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 TZS 1,272

$2.58 $2.58

-81.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,686

$2.35 $2.35

-56.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 TZS 2,229

$2.22 $2.22

-61.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 TZS 4,015

$9.88 $9.88

-84.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 TZS 2,444

$2.92 $2.92

-68.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 TZS 2,417

$3.46 $3.46

-73.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 TZS 503

$1.49 $1.49

-87.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 TZS 20.0K

$35.30 $35.30

-78.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 TZS 3,259

$0.95 $0.95

30.53%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$28.61 TZS 74.9K

$229 $229

-87.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.60 TZS 22.5K

$59.4 $59.4

-85.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.62 TZS 122.1K

$69.9 $69.9

-33.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 TZS 171.4K

$57.2 $57.2

14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 TZS 12.3K

$14.28 $14.28

-67.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,710 TZS 20.2M

$21.5K $21.5K

-64.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 TZS 747.5K

$1,907 $1,907

-85.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 TZS 611.7K

$1,274 $1,274

-81.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 TZS 1.3M

$3,664 $3,664

-86.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 TZS 1.4M

$2,538 $2,538

-79.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arusha: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arusha

$234 42.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 445% $1K

Eating Out

Arusha

$90 16.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 293% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arusha

$84 15.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 328% $274

Sport & Entertainment

Arusha

$75 13.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 14.7% $11

Groceries & Markets

Arusha

$66 * 12%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 517% $339

Getting Around

Arusha

$0.8 * 0.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 7522% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Arusha

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $285 in Arusha versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Arusha versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $66.0 vs $405 – making Arusha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Arusha

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

07:39 7:39 AM

8 h behind Arusha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,631

974,447

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,945 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arusha Austin, TX 14,380 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Arusha
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Arusha vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $549 in Arusha, $2,663 in Austin, TX – roughly 385% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $823 per month in Arusha and $3,995 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arusha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Arusha and $85.0 in Austin, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $549 in Arusha and $2,663 in Austin, TX. That's a gap of about 385%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arusha, where all-in costs run around $549, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Arusha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Arusha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Arusha. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.