Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Zanzibar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $577 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town 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 Cape Town and in Zanzibar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $577 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Zanzibar $577

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $857 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Zanzibar $857

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,137 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Zanzibar $1,137

Cape Town costs about 172% more than Zanzibar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Zanzibar is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$4.78 TZS 12.5K

146.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$21.74 TZS 57.0K

114.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$5.54 TZS 14.5K

7.58%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$2.21 TZS 5,810

11.76%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$0.60 TZS 1,568

121.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.33 TZS 874

212.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$1.91 TZS 4,999

57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$2.72 TZS 7,135

34.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$2.04 TZS 5,357

-31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.72 TZS 1,902

65.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$0.83 TZS 2,185

154.22%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.68 TZS 7,044

12.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$7.54 TZS 19.8K

18.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$2.21 TZS 5,803

200.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$6.12 TZS 16.1K

51.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$2.86 TZS 7,493

-36.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.11 TZS 2,918

71.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$0.75 TZS 1,967

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.59 TZS 1,556

254.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.98 TZS 2,581

58.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$1.48 TZS 3,871

0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.75 TZS 1,960

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.49 TZS 1,283

136.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$2.06 TZS 5,403

80.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$9.28 TZS 24.4K

-34.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.54 TZS 4,043

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.31 TZS 3,428

67.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.31 TZS 817

387.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$3.70 TZS 9,701

-82.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$0.79 TZS 2,073

93.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$2.62 TZS 6,862

83.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.27 TZS 3,339

24.41%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$48.8K TZS 128.0M

-34.94%

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

$116 R 1,920

$73.3 TZS 192.4K

58.73%

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

$28.37 R 468

$11.35 TZS 29.8K

149.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$49.97 TZS 131.1K

-18.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$29.66 TZS 77.8K

64.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$9.71 TZS 25.5K

-9.06%

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$12.93 TZS 33.9K

328.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$17.28 TZS 45.3K

86.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$15.25 TZS 40.0K

670.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$13.08 TZS 34.3K

718.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$149 TZS 389.9K

583.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$99.0 TZS 259.8K

622.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$201 TZS 528.4K

794.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$150 TZS 393.4K

787.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$37.6K TZS 98.6M

-93.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

-86.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$313 TZS 820.4K

423.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

9.70%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Zanzibar: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Zanzibar

$99 17% 86.2% $616

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Zanzibar

$164 28.2% 26.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Zanzibar

$135 23.1% 27.4% $51

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Zanzibar

$100 17.2% 42.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Zanzibar

$26 4.5% 81.3% $114

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5% 88.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Zanzibar

$49 8.4% 26.2% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $149 in Zanzibar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 423% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $22.00 in Zanzibar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $164 – making Zanzibar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🕒 Local time

13:53 1:53 PM

14:53 2:53 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

709,809

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,940 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Zanzibar 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Zanzibar

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

Cape Town vs Zanzibar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 172% more than Zanzibar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $865 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $577 in Zanzibar. That's a gap of about 172%.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanzibar, where all-in costs run around $577, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Zanzibar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zanzibar costs $577 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Zanzibar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.