Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $546 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arusha and in Lisbon

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 Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $546 per month in Arusha vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Arusha $546
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $882 per month in Arusha vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Arusha $882
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,218 per month in Arusha vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Arusha $1,218
Lisbon $4,341

Arusha is about 75% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arusha sits 60% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 TZS 8,674

$16.65 €14.95

-80.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.18 TZS 71.0K

$61.7 €55.5

-55.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 TZS 23.2K

$11.36 €10.20

-21.74%

Cappuccino

$1.64 TZS 4,290

$2.97 €2.67

-44.78%

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

$0.92 TZS 2,402

$2.29 €2.06

-59.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 779

$1.74 €1.56

-82.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 TZS 2,744

$3.40 €3.06

-69.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 TZS 7,496

$3.31 €2.97

-13.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 TZS 2,511

$1.16 €1.04

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 TZS 1,761

$1.91 €1.72

-64.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 TZS 4,332

$1.51 €1.36

9.93%

Eggs

$1.74 TZS 4,546

$4.02 €3.61

-56.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 TZS 5,865

$2.30 €2.07

-2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,069

$2.59 €2.33

-69.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 TZS 1,191

$1.82 €1.64

-74.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,668

$1.97 €1.77

-48.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 TZS 2,177

$0.72 €0.65

15.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 TZS 3,907

$6.58 €5.91

-77.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 TZS 2,507

$1.36 €1.22

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 TZS 2,521

$2.14 €1.92

-54.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 TZS 497

$2.33 €2.10

-91.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

$16.46 €14.79

-54.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 TZS 3,404

$2.20 €1.98

-40.91%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

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

$38.7K €34.8K

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

$28.47 TZS 74.3K

$161 €145

-82.34%

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

$8.27 TZS 21.6K

$18.41 €16.54

-55.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.04 TZS 125.4K

$32.74 €29.41

46.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 TZS 166.7K

$44.55 €40.02

43.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

$9.60 €8.62

-51.35%

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

$668 €600

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

$17.6K €15.8K

-56.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 TZS 732.9K

$1,608 €1,445

-82.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 TZS 609.7K

$1,190 €1,069

-80.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 TZS 1.3M

$2,812 €2,526

-82.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 TZS 1.4M

$2,013 €1,808

-74.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Arusha: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arusha

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Groceries & Markets

Arusha

–

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Eating Out

Arusha

–

Lisbon

$243 11%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arusha

–

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Arusha

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Arusha

–

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Getting Around

Arusha

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Arusha versus $1,608 in Lisbon. 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 $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $65 vs $272 – making Arusha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Arusha

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

21:18 9:18 PM

3 h behind Arusha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,631

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,611 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD). 1 EUR = 2,907 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arusha Lisbon 6,630 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Arusha
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $546 in Arusha, $2,210 in Lisbon – Arusha comes out roughly 75% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $820 per month in Arusha and $3,315 in Lisbon. 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 $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Arusha and $62 in Lisbon. 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 $2,210 in Lisbon. That makes Arusha about 75% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Arusha, where all-in costs run around $546, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Arusha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Arusha to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.