Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $715 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dar es Salaam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $715 in Dar es Salaam.

Austin, TX $2,704
Dar es Salaam $715

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,114 in Dar es Salaam.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dar es Salaam $1,114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,513 in Dar es Salaam.

Austin, TX $5,562
Dar es Salaam $1,513

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 278% more expensive than in Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Dar es Salaam is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$1.88 TZS 4,931

975.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$18.70 TZS 49.1K

354.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.50 TZS 19.7K

64.67%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.93 TZS 5,069

183.42%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.35 TZS 910

991.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.22 TZS 578

1036.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.01 TZS 2,643

698.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.90 TZS 4,993

373.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.85 TZS 2,232

32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.61 TZS 1,596

519.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.05 TZS 2,764

209.52%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.04 TZS 5,366

102.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.13 TZS 24.0K

43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

206.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$3.99 TZS 10.5K

300.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.46 TZS 6,455

78.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.06 TZS 2,775

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.08 TZS 2,822

320.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.92 TZS 2,412

355.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.89 TZS 2,336

195.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.99 TZS 2,610

138.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.82 TZS 2,160

114.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.39 TZS 1,016

453.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.09 TZS 5,494

369.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.27 TZS 19.1K

102.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.94 TZS 2,455

195.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.63 TZS 4,267

113.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.26 TZS 688

473.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$14.84 TZS 38.9K

172.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.68 TZS 4,417

58.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.50 TZS 3,943

5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$13.03 TZS 34.2K

170.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.37 TZS 3,591

-27.74%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$16.8K TZS 44.0M

113.51%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.9K TZS 68.0M

4.94%

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

$219 $219

$56.6 TZS 148.5K

287.47%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$8.88 TZS 23.3K

553.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$34.50 TZS 90.5K

98.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$85.3 TZS 223.9K

-32.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$10.01 TZS 26.3K

48.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.23 TZS 13.7K

170.17%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$568 TZS 1.5M

165.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.4K TZS 35.1M

60.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$15.23 TZS 40.0K

239.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$25.44 TZS 66.8K

73.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$44.69 TZS 117.3K

90.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$60.1 TZS 157.6K

75.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$566 TZS 1.5M

241.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$194 TZS 508.6K

556.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,348 TZS 3.5M

172.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$436 TZS 1.1M

479.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,540 TZS 4.0M

394.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,058 TZS 2.8M

202.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$283 TZS 741.9K

1705.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

18.25

-62.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Dar es Salaam

$194 27.5% 84.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6% 62.2% $251

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Dar es Salaam

$72 10.2% 79.4% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.2% 71.1% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3% 49.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6% 11.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6% 56% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $566 in Dar es Salaam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1705% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $19.00 in Dar es Salaam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $152 per month, with Dar es Salaam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

10:42 10:42 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,383,728

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,943 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

TZS to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Dar es Salaam 14,830 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dar es Salaam

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

Austin, TX vs Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dar es Salaam wins on cost – living expenses run 278% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dar es Salaam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1705% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $566 in Dar es Salaam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $715 in Dar es Salaam – a 278% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dar es Salaam runs roughly 173% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $715 in Dar es Salaam versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dar es Salaam but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dar es Salaam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dar es Salaam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.