Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Mbeya

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $427 a month against $546 in Arusha, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Arusha outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index

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Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arusha and in Mbeya

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

A single person spends $546 per month in Arusha vs $427 in Mbeya, rent included.

Arusha $546
Mbeya $427

A couple spends around $882 per month in Arusha vs $658 in Mbeya, rent included.

Arusha $882
Mbeya $658

A family of three spends $1,218 per month in Arusha vs $888 in Mbeya, rent included.

Arusha $1,218
Mbeya $888

Arusha costs about 28% more than Mbeya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Arusha and Mbeya are more affordable than the global median – Arusha 60% lower, Mbeya 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 TZS 8,674

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.18 TZS 71.0K

$22.53 TZS 58.8K

20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 TZS 23.2K

$7.71 TZS 20.1K

15.30%

Cappuccino

$1.64 TZS 4,290

$1.55 TZS 4,040

5.81%

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

$0.92 TZS 2,402

$0.39 TZS 1,022

135.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 779

$0.37 TZS 958

-18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 TZS 2,744

$0.77 TZS 2,015

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 TZS 7,496

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 TZS 2,511

$0.59 TZS 1,530

62.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 TZS 1,761

$0.96 TZS 2,500

-30.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 TZS 4,332

$0.91 TZS 2,388

82.42%

Eggs

$1.74 TZS 4,546

$2.32 TZS 6,066

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 TZS 10.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 TZS 9,632

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.32 TZS 8,672

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 TZS 5,865

$1.16 TZS 3,030

93.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 TZS 1,932

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 TZS 2,503

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,069

$0.76 TZS 1,985

3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 TZS 1,191

$0.91 TZS 2,374

-49.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,668

$0.71 TZS 1,862

43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 TZS 1,418

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 TZS 2,177

$0.78 TZS 2,042

6.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 TZS 3,907

$1.10 TZS 2,862

36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.84 TZS 10.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 TZS 2,507

$0.72 TZS 1,869

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 TZS 2,521

$1.10 TZS 2,878

-11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 TZS 497

$0.37 TZS 963

-48.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 TZS 3,024

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 TZS 4,842

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

$2.61 TZS 6,808

190.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 TZS 3,404

$1.19 TZS 3,114

9.24%

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

$28.47 TZS 74.3K

$24.44 TZS 63.8K

16.49%

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

$8.27 TZS 21.6K

$18.75 TZS 48.9K

-55.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.04 TZS 125.4K

$45.65 TZS 119.2K

5.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 TZS 166.7K

$37.28 TZS 97.4K

71.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

$9.19 TZS 24.0K

-49.18%

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

$191 TZS 499.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

$1,138 TZS 3.0M

569.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.46 TZS 29.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.28 TZS 24.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.13 TZS 50.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.85 TZS 70.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 TZS 732.9K

$112 TZS 292.3K

150.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 TZS 609.7K

$76.4 TZS 199.5K

205.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 TZS 1.3M

$188 TZS 491.5K

162.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 TZS 1.4M

$113 TZS 295.7K

360.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 TZS 495.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Arusha: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mbeya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Arusha

–

Mbeya

$115 27%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arusha

–

Mbeya

$89 20.8%

Accommodation & Living

Arusha

–

Mbeya

$76 17.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Arusha

–

Mbeya

$56 13%

Eating Out

Arusha

–

Mbeya

$49 * 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Arusha

–

Mbeya

$30 7%

Getting Around

Arusha

–

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Arusha versus $112 in Mbeya. 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 $23 in Mbeya. Groceries tell a different story – $65 in Arusha vs $115 in Mbeya – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Arusha

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

Same time as Arusha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,631

541,603

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Arusha Mbeya 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Arusha
Mbeya

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 Mbeya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $546 in Arusha, $427 in Mbeya – Mbeya comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $820 per month in Arusha and $640 in Mbeya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $112 there versus $281 in Arusha.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Arusha and $23 in Mbeya. 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 $427 in Mbeya. That makes Mbeya about 22% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $546 in Arusha and $427 in Mbeya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Arusha has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $427 in Mbeya to $546 in Arusha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.