Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $701 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$701

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dar es Salaam and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $701 in Dar es Salaam versus $1,779 in Athens.

Dar es Salaam $701
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,114 in Dar es Salaam versus $2,721 in Athens.

Dar es Salaam $1,114
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,527 in Dar es Salaam versus $3,663 in Athens.

Dar es Salaam $1,527
Athens $3,663

Living in Dar es Salaam costs roughly 61% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dar es Salaam is 48% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.85 TZS 4,854

$16.83 €14.99

-89.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.91 TZS 49.7K

$66.0 €58.8

-71.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 TZS 19.8K

$11.21 €9.98

-32.74%

Cappuccino

$1.93 TZS 5,069

$4.08 €3.64

-52.70%

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

$0.37 TZS 981

$2.77 €2.47

-86.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 TZS 525

$0.54 €0.48

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 TZS 2,397

$5.70 €5.07

-84.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 TZS 4,938

$6.26 €5.58

-69.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 TZS 2,219

$1.84 €1.64

-54.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TZS 1,601

$1.43 €1.27

-57.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 TZS 2,888

$2.67 €2.38

-58.80%

Eggs

$1.94 TZS 5,105

$4.95 €4.41

-60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 TZS 24.5K

$15.09 €13.44

-38.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 TZS 12.9K

$10.99 €9.79

-55.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.96 TZS 10.4K

$19.77 €17.60

-79.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 TZS 6,504

$2.12 €1.89

16.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,803

$1.98 €1.76

-45.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,691

$1.33 €1.18

-23.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 TZS 2,387

$2.16 €1.92

-57.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 TZS 2,510

$1.06 €0.94

-10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,707

$1.15 €1.02

-10.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 TZS 2,168

$1.08 €0.96

-24.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,013

$0.85 €0.75

-54.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 TZS 5,322

$5.46 €4.86

-63.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 TZS 18.4K

$10.03 €8.93

-30.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 TZS 2,289

$2.04 €1.82

-57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 TZS 4,209

$2.38 €2.12

-32.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 TZS 628

$1.35 €1.20

-82.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.01 TZS 39.5K

$30.52 €27.18

-50.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 TZS 4,462

$3.81 €3.39

-55.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 TZS 4,084

$1.03 €0.92

50.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 TZS 35.4K

$16.49 €14.68

-18.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 TZS 3,675

$2.34 €2.09

-40.17%

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

$17.0K TZS 44.7M

$27.8K €24.7K

-38.74%

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

$26.2K TZS 68.8M

$26.6K €23.7K

-1.66%

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

$57.6 TZS 151.3K

$202 €180

-71.54%

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

$8.92 TZS 23.4K

$26.81 €23.87

-66.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.59 TZS 90.9K

$30.49 €27.14

13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.5 TZS 219.6K

$54.1 €48.14

54.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 TZS 26.8K

$27.40 €24.40

-62.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 TZS 13.7K

$10.44 €9.30

-50.10%

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

$569 TZS 1.5M

$568 €505

0.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K TZS 37.7M

$15.2K €13.5K

-5.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.19 TZS 39.9K

$90.7 €80.7

-83.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.19 TZS 68.8K

$39.32 €35.01

-33.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.57 TZS 114.5K

$105 €93.7

-58.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 TZS 156.1K

$129 €115

-53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 TZS 1.4M

$742 €661

-28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 TZS 502.9K

$648 €577

-70.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 TZS 3.6M

$1,271 €1,132

6.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 TZS 1.2M

$1,122 €999

-60.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,504 TZS 4.0M

$3,999 €3,561

-62.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 TZS 2.9M

$3,281 €2,921

-66.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 TZS 745.6K

$1,245 €1,109

-77.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

4.44

311.04%

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

Last update for Dar es Salaam: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$191 27.3%

Athens

$648 36.4% 239% $457

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$153 21.8%

Athens

$316 17.8% 107% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$101 14.4%

Athens

$260 14.6% 157% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Athens

$75 4.2% 20.2% $19

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$71 10.2%

Athens

$272 15.3% 282% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Athens

$164 9.2% 152% $99

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6%

Athens

$45 2.5% 76.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in Dar es Salaam and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Dar es Salaam vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $316 per month, with Dar es Salaam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

13:15 1:15 PM

1 h behind Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.39 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2,629 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD). 1 EUR = 2,953 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.39 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dar es Salaam Athens 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dar es Salaam wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dar es Salaam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Dar es Salaam. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $533 in Dar es Salaam versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dar es Salaam – a meal for two runs $19 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $701 per month in Dar es Salaam versus $1,779 in Athens – Dar es Salaam is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $701 in Dar es Salaam versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dar es Salaam but tight or insufficient in Athens. 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 61% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.