Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Kottayam Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Kottayam

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $543 per month in Arusha vs $272 in Kottayam, rent included.

A couple spends around $886 per month in Arusha vs $438 in Kottayam, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,229 per month in Arusha vs $604 in Kottayam, rent included.

Arusha costs about 99% more than Kottayam, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Arusha and Kottayam are more affordable than the global median – Arusha 61% lower, Kottayam 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 TZS 9,005

$1.04 ₹99.3

229.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.05 TZS 73.7K

$10.42 ₹995

169.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 TZS 24.2K

$4.27 ₹408

115.46%

Cappuccino

$1.75 TZS 4,606

$0.76 ₹73.1

130.26%

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

$0.94 TZS 2,473

$0.33 ₹31.79

184.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TZS 875

$0.17 ₹16.46

94.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 TZS 2,821

$1.25 ₹120

-14.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TZS 7,588

$2.71 ₹259

6.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 TZS 2,451

$0.54 ₹51.3

72.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 TZS 1,675

$0.38 ₹36.77

68.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 TZS 4,534

$0.65 ₹61.8

164.62%

Eggs

$1.75 TZS 4,592

$0.80 ₹76.6

118.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.17 ₹208

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 ₹287

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 TZS 6,077

$2.41 ₹230

-4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.7

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 ₹114

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 TZS 2,090

$0.38 ₹36.29

110.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 TZS 1,207

$0.40 ₹38.39

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,677

$0.46 ₹44.11

121.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 ₹36.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 TZS 2,051

$0.31 ₹29.87

151.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 TZS 4,023

$4.98 ₹476

-69.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.88 ₹371

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 TZS 2,450

$1.58 ₹151

-41.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 TZS 2,447

$3.11 ₹298

-70.10%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.22 ₹403

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 TZS 479

$0.31 ₹30.05

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.05 ₹865

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹98.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ₹24.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 TZS 20.3K

$1.61 ₹153

380.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 TZS 3,515

$1.11 ₹107

20.72%

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

$9,407 ₹898.8K

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

$14.6K ₹1.4M

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

$28.66 TZS 75.4K

$21.31 ₹2,036

34.49%

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

$8.35 TZS 22.0K

$3.45 ₹330

142.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.03 TZS 123.6K

$6.79 ₹649

592.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 TZS 167.5K

$6.21 ₹594

925.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.99 ₹858

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

$1.67 ₹160

181.44%

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

$10.76 ₹1,028

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,607 TZS 20.0M

$1,365 ₹130.5K

457.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.29 ₹1,747

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.18 ₹1,545

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.19 ₹2,025

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$12.01 ₹1,148

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 TZS 743.8K

$127 ₹12.1K

123.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 TZS 625.4K

$52.8 ₹5,047

350.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 TZS 1.3M

$266 ₹25.4K

87.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 TZS 1.4M

$115 ₹11.0K

357.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$944 ₹90.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$552 ₹52.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$288 ₹27.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Arusha: September 5, 2026

Last update for Kottayam: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $283 in Arusha versus $127 in Kottayam. 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 $10.00 in Kottayam. Groceries tell a different story – $64.0 in Arusha vs $88.0 in Kottayam – 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 Kottayam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $543 in Arusha, $272 in Kottayam – roughly 99% apart. Arusha costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $814 per month in Arusha and $409 in Kottayam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kottayam, 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 $10.00 in Kottayam. 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 $272 in Kottayam. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $543 in Arusha and $272 in Kottayam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kottayam – 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 Kottayam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arusha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.