Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Arusha

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $544 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Arusha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Arusha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Athens vs $544 in Arusha, rent included.

Athens $1,779
Arusha $544

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Athens vs $874 in Arusha, rent included.

Athens $2,721
Arusha $874

A family of three spends $3,663 per month in Athens vs $1,205 in Arusha, rent included.

Athens $3,663
Arusha $1,205

Athens costs about 227% more than Arusha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Athens sits 32% above the global median, while Arusha is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €14.99

$3.27 TZS 8,624

414.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

$26.90 TZS 70.9K

145.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

$8.86 TZS 23.4K

26.52%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.64

$1.70 TZS 4,473

140.00%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$0.87 TZS 2,282

218.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.32 TZS 854

68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

$1.05 TZS 2,768

442.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.58

$2.81 TZS 7,405

122.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.91 TZS 2,405

102.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.67 TZS 1,773

113.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.72 TZS 4,527

55.23%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.41

$1.73 TZS 4,569

186.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.79

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.61

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.20 TZS 5,808

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.75 TZS 1,969

188.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.94

$0.46 TZS 1,209

130.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.02 TZS 2,684

12.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.86 TZS 2,258

-1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

$1.53 TZS 4,029

256.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.82

$0.93 TZS 2,453

119.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.12

$0.99 TZS 2,602

140.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.27 TZS 711

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

$7.35 TZS 19.4K

124.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.09

$1.29 TZS 3,407

81.40%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$26.6K €23.7K

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

$202 €180

$28.64 TZS 75.5K

606.08%

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

$26.81 €23.88

$8.34 TZS 22.0K

221.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.16

$47.33 TZS 124.7K

-35.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.17

$63.8 TZS 168.0K

-15.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

$4.59 TZS 12.1K

127.45%

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

$568 €506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

$7,703 TZS 20.3M

97.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.03

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €661

$280 TZS 738.5K

164.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €578

$232 TZS 611.3K

179.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,132

$491 TZS 1.3M

158.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €999

$511 TZS 1.3M

119.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,562

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,923

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Arusha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Arusha

–

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Arusha

–

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Arusha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Arusha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Arusha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Arusha

–

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Arusha

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Athens versus $280 in Arusha. 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 $66 in Athens versus $27 in Arusha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $65 – making Arusha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇹🇿 Arusha

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

617,631

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2,635 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD). 1 EUR = 2,961 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.38 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Arusha 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Athens
Arusha

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

Athens vs Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,779 in Athens, $544 in Arusha – Arusha comes out roughly 69% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,669 per month in Athens and $816 in Arusha. 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 $280 there versus $742 in Athens.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Athens and $27 in Arusha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,779 in Athens and $544 in Arusha. That makes Arusha about 69% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Arusha, where all-in costs run around $544, than in Athens at $1,779. In Arusha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Athens has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $544 in Arusha to $1,779 in Athens. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.