Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index
129

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

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$715

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Dar es Salaam costs roughly 74% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.88 TZS 4,931

$20.22 $20.22

-90.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 TZS 49.1K

$85.0 $85.0

-78.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 TZS 19.7K

$12.35 $12.35

-39.27%

Cappuccino

$1.93 TZS 5,069

$5.47 $5.47

-64.72%

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

$0.35 TZS 910

$3.82 $3.82

-90.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 578

$2.50 $2.50

-91.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 TZS 2,643

$8.06 $8.06

-87.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 TZS 4,993

$8.99 $8.99

-78.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 TZS 2,232

$1.13 $1.13

-24.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TZS 1,596

$3.78 $3.78

-83.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 TZS 2,764

$3.25 $3.25

-67.69%

Eggs

$2.04 TZS 5,366

$4.14 $4.14

-50.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 TZS 24.0K

$13.08 $13.08

-30.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

$14.31 $14.31

-67.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.99 TZS 10.5K

$15.96 $15.96

-75.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 TZS 6,455

$4.38 $4.38

-43.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 TZS 2,775

$1.45 $1.45

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 TZS 2,822

$4.54 $4.54

-76.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,412

$4.19 $4.19

-78.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 TZS 2,336

$2.63 $2.63

-66.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,610

$2.36 $2.36

-58.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 TZS 2,160

$1.76 $1.76

-53.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,016

$2.16 $2.16

-81.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 TZS 5,494

$9.81 $9.81

-78.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.1K

$14.72 $14.72

-50.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 TZS 2,455

$2.78 $2.78

-66.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 TZS 4,267

$3.48 $3.48

-53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 688

$1.49 $1.49

-82.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.84 TZS 38.9K

$40.51 $40.51

-63.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 TZS 4,417

$2.67 $2.67

-37.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 TZS 3,943

$1.58 $1.58

-5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.03 TZS 34.2K

$35.29 $35.29

-63.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 TZS 3,591

$0.99 $0.99

38.38%

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

$16.8K TZS 44.0M

$35.8K $35.8K

-53.16%

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

$25.9K TZS 68.0M

$27.2K $27.2K

-4.71%

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

$56.6 TZS 148.5K

$219 $219

-74.19%

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

$8.88 TZS 23.3K

$58.0 $58.0

-84.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 TZS 90.5K

$68.4 $68.4

-49.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 TZS 223.9K

$57.9 $57.9

47.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.01 TZS 26.3K

$14.82 $14.82

-32.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 TZS 13.7K

$14.13 $14.13

-62.99%

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

$568 TZS 1.5M

$1,509 $1,509

-62.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K TZS 35.1M

$21.5K $21.5K

-37.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.23 TZS 40.0K

$51.7 $51.7

-70.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.44 TZS 66.8K

$44.05 $44.05

-42.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.69 TZS 117.3K

$85.1 $85.1

-47.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 TZS 157.6K

$105 $105

-42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 TZS 1.5M

$1,932 $1,932

-70.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 TZS 508.6K

$1,272 $1,272

-84.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 TZS 3.5M

$3,670 $3,670

-63.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 TZS 1.1M

$2,525 $2,525

-82.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,540 TZS 4.0M

$7,617 $7,617

-79.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,058 TZS 2.8M

$3,199 $3,199

-66.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$283 TZS 741.9K

$5,105 $5,105

-94.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

6.79

168.78%

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

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$194 27.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 556% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 165% $251

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 246% $246

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 10% $9.6

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$72 10.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 385% $276

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 96.7% $63

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 127% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $566 in Dar es Salaam and $1,932 in Austin, TX. 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: $19.00 in Dar es Salaam vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $403 per month, with Dar es Salaam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

8 h behind Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

974,447

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

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).

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

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Dar es Salaam
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 1705% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $566 in Dar es Salaam versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $715 per month in Dar es Salaam versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – 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.