Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Dar es Salaam Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Dar es Salaam

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $543 per month in Arusha vs $703 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

A couple spends around $886 per month in Arusha vs $1,102 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,229 per month in Arusha vs $1,501 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Arusha is about 23% cheaper than Dar es Salaam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Arusha and Dar es Salaam are more affordable than the global median – Arusha 61% lower, Dar es Salaam 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 TZS 9,005

$1.85 TZS 4,870

85.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.05 TZS 73.7K

$18.78 TZS 49.4K

49.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 TZS 24.2K

$8.46 TZS 22.2K

8.75%

Cappuccino

$1.75 TZS 4,606

$1.89 TZS 4,957

-7.41%

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

$0.94 TZS 2,473

$0.35 TZS 915

168.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TZS 875

$0.22 TZS 579

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 TZS 2,821

$0.93 TZS 2,456

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TZS 7,588

$1.84 TZS 4,837

57.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 TZS 2,451

$0.79 TZS 2,077

17.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 TZS 1,675

$0.61 TZS 1,605

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 TZS 4,534

$1.09 TZS 2,860

57.80%

Eggs

$1.75 TZS 4,592

$1.92 TZS 5,042

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 TZS 24.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 TZS 12.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.02 TZS 10.6K

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 TZS 6,077

$2.52 TZS 6,621

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 TZS 2,660

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,614

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 TZS 2,090

$1.05 TZS 2,758

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 TZS 1,207

$0.93 TZS 2,434

-50.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,677

$1.01 TZS 2,663

0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 TZS 2,139

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 TZS 2,051

$0.35 TZS 933

122.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 TZS 4,023

$2.30 TZS 6,044

-33.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 TZS 18.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 TZS 2,450

$0.84 TZS 2,215

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 TZS 2,447

$1.57 TZS 4,121

-40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 TZS 479

$0.24 TZS 626

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.67 TZS 38.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 TZS 4,366

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 TZS 4,017

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 TZS 20.3K

$13.46 TZS 35.4K

-42.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 TZS 3,515

$1.33 TZS 3,494

0.75%

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

$16.7K TZS 43.8M

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

$26.5K TZS 69.6M

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

$28.66 TZS 75.4K

$56.2 TZS 147.7K

-48.99%

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

$8.35 TZS 22.0K

$9.00 TZS 23.6K

-7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.03 TZS 123.6K

$34.47 TZS 90.6K

36.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 TZS 167.5K

$83.5 TZS 219.5K

-23.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.09 TZS 21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

$5.22 TZS 13.7K

-9.96%

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

$577 TZS 1.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,607 TZS 20.0M

$13.2K TZS 34.6M

-42.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.39 TZS 37.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 TZS 69.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.87 TZS 118.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.7 TZS 172.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 TZS 743.8K

$605 TZS 1.6M

-53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 TZS 625.4K

$198 TZS 519.3K

20.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 TZS 1.3M

$1,374 TZS 3.6M

-63.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 TZS 1.4M

$444 TZS 1.2M

18.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,540 TZS 4.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,076 TZS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$283 TZS 743.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

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

Last update for Arusha: September 5, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $283 in Arusha versus $605 in Dar es Salaam. 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 $28.00 in Arusha versus $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. Groceries tell a different story – $64.0 in Arusha vs $151 in Dar es Salaam – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $543 in Arusha, $703 in Dar es Salaam – roughly 30% apart. Dar es Salaam costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $814 per month in Arusha and $1,055 in Dar es Salaam. 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 $28.00 in Arusha and $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $543 in Arusha and $703 in Dar es Salaam. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arusha, where all-in costs run around $543, than in Dar es Salaam at $703. In Arusha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dar es Salaam 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, Dar es Salaam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.