Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $701 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
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Bansko Living Index

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$701

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $701 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $701
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $1,114 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,114
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $1,527 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,527
Bansko $1,989

Dar es Salaam is about 28% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dar es Salaam and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Dar es Salaam 48% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.85 TZS 4,854

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-79.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.91 TZS 49.7K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-58.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 TZS 19.8K

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-15.47%

Cappuccino

$1.93 TZS 5,069

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-17.17%

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

$0.37 TZS 981

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-75.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 TZS 525

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-75.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 TZS 2,397

$1.75 BGN 3.05

-48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 TZS 4,938

$2.01 BGN 3.49

-6.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 TZS 2,219

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-51.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TZS 1,601

$0.86 BGN 1.49

-29.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 TZS 2,888

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-24.66%

Eggs

$1.94 TZS 5,105

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 TZS 24.5K

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 TZS 12.9K

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-22.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.96 TZS 10.4K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

-54.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 TZS 6,504

$1.32 BGN 2.29

87.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,803

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-35.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,691

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-41.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 TZS 2,387

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-53.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 TZS 2,510

$0.95 BGN 1.66

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,707

$0.72 BGN 1.26

43.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 TZS 2,168

$0.55 BGN 0.96

49.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,013

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 TZS 5,322

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-39.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 TZS 18.4K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

37.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 TZS 2,289

$1.12 BGN 1.95

-22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 TZS 4,209

$1.73 BGN 3.01

-7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 TZS 628

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-73.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.01 TZS 39.5K

$27.08 BGN 47.11

-44.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 TZS 4,462

$1.64 BGN 2.85

3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 TZS 4,084

$0.91 BGN 1.59

70.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 TZS 35.4K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

34.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 TZS 3,675

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-6.67%

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

$17.0K TZS 44.7M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-40.44%

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

$26.2K TZS 68.8M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

23.20%

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

$57.6 TZS 151.3K

$92.5 BGN 161

-37.78%

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

$8.92 TZS 23.4K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

-38.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.59 TZS 90.9K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

185.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.5 TZS 219.6K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

162.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 TZS 26.8K

$8.46 BGN 14.72

20.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 TZS 13.7K

$5.51 BGN 9.59

-5.44%

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

$569 TZS 1.5M

$227 BGN 395

150.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K TZS 37.7M

$2,311 BGN 4,021

521.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.19 TZS 39.9K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-50.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.19 TZS 68.8K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

38.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.57 TZS 114.5K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 TZS 156.1K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

22.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 TZS 1.4M

$510 BGN 887

4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 TZS 502.9K

$364 BGN 634

-47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 TZS 3.6M

$624 BGN 1,085

117.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 TZS 1.2M

$566 BGN 985

-22.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,504 TZS 4.0M

$1,166 BGN 2,028

28.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 TZS 2.9M

$969 BGN 1,686

12.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 TZS 745.6K

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-83.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

2.99

510.37%

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 Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$191 27.3%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 90.5% $173

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$153 21.8%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 26.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$101 14.4%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 18% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 54.4% $51

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$71 10.2%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 107% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 0.5% $0.3

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 44.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Dar es Salaam versus $510 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bansko are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dar es Salaam versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $193 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

1 h behind Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

8,000

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.39 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dar es Salaam Bansko 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Bansko

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 Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $701 in Dar es Salaam, $968 in Bansko – Dar es Salaam comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,051 per month in Dar es Salaam and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $533 in Dar es Salaam and $510 in Bansko. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dar es Salaam and $45 in Bansko. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $701 in Dar es Salaam and $968 in Bansko. That makes Dar es Salaam about 28% cheaper.

If budget matters most, go with Dar es Salaam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.