Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arusha and Zanzibar

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $546 a month against $581 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Zanzibar despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index

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Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arusha and in Zanzibar

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

A single person spends $546 per month in Arusha vs $581 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Arusha $546
Zanzibar $581

A couple spends around $882 per month in Arusha vs $865 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Arusha $882
Zanzibar $865

A family of three spends $1,218 per month in Arusha vs $1,150 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Arusha $1,218
Zanzibar $1,150

Arusha is about 6% cheaper than Zanzibar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arusha and Zanzibar are more affordable than the global median – Arusha 60% lower, Zanzibar 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 TZS 8,701

$4.63 TZS 12.1K

-28.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.18 TZS 71.2K

$21.81 TZS 57.1K

24.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 TZS 23.3K

$5.55 TZS 14.5K

60.18%

Cappuccino

$1.64 TZS 4,303

$2.11 TZS 5,519

-22.27%

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

$0.92 TZS 2,409

$0.58 TZS 1,532

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 781

$0.31 TZS 804

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 TZS 2,752

$1.86 TZS 4,875

-43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 TZS 7,519

$2.62 TZS 6,869

9.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 TZS 2,519

$2.10 TZS 5,510

-54.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 TZS 1,767

$0.76 TZS 1,991

-11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 TZS 4,346

$0.80 TZS 2,106

107.50%

Eggs

$1.74 TZS 4,560

$2.67 TZS 6,996

-34.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 TZS 19.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.22 TZS 5,821

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 TZS 15.5K

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 TZS 5,883

$2.77 TZS 7,243

-18.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 TZS 2,910

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 TZS 1,926

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,075

$0.55 TZS 1,436

43.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 TZS 1,195

$1.00 TZS 2,607

-54.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,676

$1.53 TZS 4,017

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 TZS 2,088

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 TZS 2,184

$0.49 TZS 1,279

69.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 TZS 3,919

$2.14 TZS 5,616

-29.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 TZS 2,515

$1.53 TZS 4,018

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 TZS 2,529

$1.28 TZS 3,365

-24.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 TZS 498

$0.31 TZS 824

-38.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 TZS 9,745

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 TZS 2,047

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

$2.71 TZS 7,096

179.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 TZS 3,415

$1.25 TZS 3,282

4.00%

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

$50.5K TZS 132.1M

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

$28.47 TZS 74.6K

$74.8 TZS 195.9K

-61.94%

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

$8.27 TZS 21.7K

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

-26.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.04 TZS 125.8K

$50.1 TZS 131.2K

-4.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 TZS 167.2K

$29.86 TZS 78.2K

113.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

$9.51 TZS 24.9K

-50.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.91 TZS 33.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.77 TZS 43.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.19 TZS 39.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.00 TZS 34.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 TZS 735.1K

$152 TZS 399.2K

84.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 TZS 611.6K

$100 TZS 262.1K

133.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 TZS 1.3M

$202 TZS 527.8K

145.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 TZS 1.4M

$150 TZS 393.6K

247.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.9K TZS 99.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.2K TZS 29.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$320 TZS 839.3K

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 Zanzibar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Arusha

–

Zanzibar

$164 28.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arusha

–

Zanzibar

$136 23.4%

Accommodation & Living

Arusha

–

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Eating Out

Arusha

–

Zanzibar

$97 16.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Arusha

–

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Arusha

–

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Getting Around

Arusha

–

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5%

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 $152 in Zanzibar. 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 $22 in Zanzibar. Groceries tell a different story – $65 in Arusha vs $164 in Zanzibar – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Arusha

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

Same time as Arusha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,631

709,809

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Arusha Zanzibar 420 km

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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 Zanzibar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $546 in Arusha, $581 in Zanzibar – Arusha comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $820 per month in Arusha and $871 in Zanzibar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zanzibar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $152 there versus $281 in Arusha.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Arusha and $22 in Zanzibar. 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 $581 in Zanzibar. That makes Arusha about 6% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $546 in Arusha and $581 in Zanzibar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Zanzibar has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Arusha to $581 in Zanzibar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.