Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Arusha

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $546 a month against $702 in Dar es Salaam, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Dar es Salaam despite lower rent and utilities.

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

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dar es Salaam 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 Dar es Salaam and in Arusha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $702 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $546 in Arusha, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $702
Arusha $546

A couple spends around $1,108 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $882 in Arusha, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,108
Arusha $882

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,218 in Arusha, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,514
Arusha $1,218

Dar es Salaam costs about 28% more than Arusha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dar es Salaam and Arusha are more affordable than the global median – Dar es Salaam 48% lower, Arusha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.87 TZS 4,890

$3.32 TZS 8,701

-43.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

$27.18 TZS 71.2K

-30.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

$8.89 TZS 23.3K

-13.16%

Cappuccino

$2.01 TZS 5,272

$1.64 TZS 4,303

22.56%

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

$0.37 TZS 981

$0.92 TZS 2,409

-59.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 577

$0.30 TZS 781

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 TZS 2,431

$1.05 TZS 2,752

-11.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 TZS 4,905

$2.87 TZS 7,519

-34.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 TZS 2,157

$0.96 TZS 2,519

-14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 TZS 1,622

$0.67 TZS 1,767

-7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 TZS 2,865

$1.66 TZS 4,346

-34.34%

Eggs

$1.85 TZS 4,845

$1.74 TZS 4,560

6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 TZS 24.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 TZS 12.4K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 TZS 6,481

$2.25 TZS 5,883

9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,800

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,694

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 TZS 2,324

$0.79 TZS 2,075

12.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 TZS 2,442

$0.46 TZS 1,195

102.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,593

$1.02 TZS 2,676

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 TZS 2,173

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,011

$0.83 TZS 2,184

-53.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 TZS 5,605

$1.50 TZS 3,919

42.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 TZS 2,395

$0.96 TZS 2,515

-5.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,020

$0.97 TZS 2,529

58.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 681

$0.19 TZS 498

36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.54 TZS 38.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 TZS 4,355

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 TZS 3,992

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 TZS 34.5K

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

73.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 TZS 3,561

$1.30 TZS 3,415

4.62%

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

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

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

$26.4K TZS 69.1M

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

$55.6 TZS 145.7K

$28.47 TZS 74.6K

95.36%

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

$9.20 TZS 24.1K

$8.27 TZS 21.7K

11.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.86 TZS 88.7K

$48.04 TZS 125.8K

-29.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 TZS 219.8K

$63.9 TZS 167.2K

31.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.73 TZS 25.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

6.42%

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

$559 TZS 1.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K TZS 34.2M

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

71.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.31 TZS 40.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.76 TZS 67.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.36 TZS 116.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 TZS 1.5M

$281 TZS 735.1K

101.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 TZS 510.0K

$234 TZS 611.6K

-16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

$495 TZS 1.3M

171.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 TZS 1.1M

$522 TZS 1.4M

-17.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 TZS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 TZS 746.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

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

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arusha: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8%

Arusha

–

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Arusha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1%

Arusha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Arusha

–

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Arusha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Arusha

–

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Arusha

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Dar es Salaam versus $281 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 $19 in Dar es Salaam versus $27 in Arusha. Groceries tell a different story – $152 in Dar es Salaam vs $65 in Arusha – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Arusha

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

Same time as Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

617,631

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Dar es Salaam Arusha 480 km

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Dar es Salaam
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

Dar es Salaam vs Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $702 in Dar es Salaam, $546 in Arusha – Arusha comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,052 per month in Dar es Salaam and $820 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 $281 there versus $565 in Dar es Salaam.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dar es Salaam 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 $702 in Dar es Salaam and $546 in Arusha. That makes Arusha about 22% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $702 in Dar es Salaam and $546 in Arusha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Dar es Salaam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Arusha to $702 in Dar es Salaam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.