Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $546 a month against $702 in Dar es Salaam, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Dar es Salaam despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index

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Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arusha and in Dar es Salaam

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 Dar es Salaam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $546 per month in Arusha vs $702 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Arusha $546
Dar es Salaam $702

A couple spends around $882 per month in Arusha vs $1,108 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Arusha $882
Dar es Salaam $1,108

A family of three spends $1,218 per month in Arusha vs $1,514 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Arusha $1,218
Dar es Salaam $1,514

Arusha is about 22% cheaper than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arusha and Dar es Salaam are more affordable than the global median – Arusha 60% lower, Dar es Salaam 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 TZS 8,674

$1.87 TZS 4,875

77.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.18 TZS 71.0K

$18.77 TZS 49.0K

44.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 TZS 23.2K

$7.72 TZS 20.1K

15.16%

Cappuccino

$1.64 TZS 4,290

$2.01 TZS 5,256

-18.41%

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

$0.92 TZS 2,402

$0.37 TZS 978

148.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 779

$0.22 TZS 576

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 TZS 2,744

$0.93 TZS 2,424

12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 TZS 7,496

$1.87 TZS 4,890

53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 TZS 2,511

$0.82 TZS 2,150

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 TZS 1,761

$0.62 TZS 1,617

8.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 TZS 4,332

$1.09 TZS 2,857

52.29%

Eggs

$1.74 TZS 4,546

$1.85 TZS 4,830

-5.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 TZS 23.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 TZS 12.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 TZS 5,865

$2.47 TZS 6,461

-8.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,791

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,686

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,069

$0.89 TZS 2,316

-11.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 TZS 1,191

$0.93 TZS 2,434

-50.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,668

$0.99 TZS 2,585

3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 TZS 2,166

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 TZS 2,177

$0.39 TZS 1,008

112.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 TZS 3,907

$2.14 TZS 5,588

-29.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 TZS 2,507

$0.91 TZS 2,387

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 TZS 2,521

$1.54 TZS 4,008

-37.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 TZS 497

$0.26 TZS 679

-26.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.54 TZS 38.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 TZS 4,341

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 TZS 3,979

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

$13.17 TZS 34.4K

-42.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 TZS 3,404

$1.36 TZS 3,551

-4.41%

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

$16.5K TZS 43.1M

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

$26.4K TZS 68.8M

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

$28.47 TZS 74.3K

$55.6 TZS 145.2K

-48.81%

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

$8.27 TZS 21.6K

$9.20 TZS 24.0K

-10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.04 TZS 125.4K

$33.86 TZS 88.4K

41.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 TZS 166.7K

$83.9 TZS 219.1K

-23.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.73 TZS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

-6.04%

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

$559 TZS 1.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

$13.0K TZS 34.1M

-41.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.31 TZS 40.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.76 TZS 67.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.36 TZS 115.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 TZS 153.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 TZS 732.9K

$565 TZS 1.5M

-50.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 TZS 609.7K

$195 TZS 508.4K

19.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 TZS 1.3M

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

-63.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 TZS 1.4M

$433 TZS 1.1M

20.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 TZS 2.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 TZS 744.1K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arusha

–

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8%

Groceries & Markets

Arusha

–

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arusha

–

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Arusha

–

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Eating Out

Arusha

–

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Arusha

–

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Getting Around

Arusha

–

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Arusha versus $565 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 $27 in Arusha versus $19 in Dar es Salaam. Groceries tell a different story – $65 in Arusha vs $152 in Dar es Salaam – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Arusha

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

Same time as Arusha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,631

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Arusha Dar es Salaam 480 km

From you

Arusha
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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 Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $546 in Arusha, $702 in Dar es Salaam – Arusha comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $820 per month in Arusha and $1,052 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $565 in Dar es Salaam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Arusha and $19 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 $546 in Arusha and $702 in Dar es Salaam. That makes Arusha about 22% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $546 in Arusha and $702 in Dar es Salaam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Dar es Salaam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Arusha to $702 in Dar es Salaam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.