Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $715 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
Learn more

Dar es Salaam Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index

Jump to prices

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$715

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $715
Berlin $2,545

A couple spends around $1,114 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,114
Berlin $3,901

A family of three spends $1,513 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,513
Berlin $5,257

Dar es Salaam is about 72% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dar es Salaam sits 47% below the global median, while Berlin is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.88 TZS 4,931

$16.81 €15.00

-88.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 TZS 49.1K

$79.6 €71.0

-76.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 TZS 19.7K

$13.38 €11.94

-43.95%

Cappuccino

$1.93 TZS 5,069

$4.27 €3.81

-54.80%

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

$0.35 TZS 910

$3.40 €3.03

-89.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 578

$3.12 €2.79

-92.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 TZS 2,643

$5.48 €4.89

-81.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 TZS 4,993

$4.56 €4.07

-58.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 TZS 2,232

$1.27 €1.13

-33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TZS 1,596

$2.45 €2.19

-75.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 TZS 2,764

$3.30 €2.94

-68.18%

Eggs

$2.04 TZS 5,366

$4.45 €3.97

-54.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 TZS 24.0K

$17.10 €15.26

-46.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

$12.19 €10.88

-61.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.99 TZS 10.5K

$18.30 €16.33

-78.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 TZS 6,455

$3.58 €3.19

-31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 TZS 2,775

$1.98 €1.77

-46.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 TZS 2,822

$3.27 €2.92

-66.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,412

$3.81 €3.40

-75.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 TZS 2,336

$2.13 €1.90

-58.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,610

$2.21 €1.97

-55.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 TZS 2,160

$1.49 €1.33

-44.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,016

$1.01 €0.90

-61.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 TZS 5,494

$10.49 €9.37

-80.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.1K

$6.76 €6.03

7.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 TZS 2,455

$1.34 €1.20

-29.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 TZS 4,267

$2.10 €1.87

-22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 688

$4.37 €3.90

-94.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.84 TZS 38.9K

$71.0 €63.3

-79.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 TZS 4,417

$5.29 €4.72

-68.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 TZS 3,943

$3.05 €2.73

-50.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.03 TZS 34.2K

$36.30 €32.39

-64.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 TZS 3,591

$2.28 €2.03

-39.91%

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

$16.8K TZS 44.0M

$33.2K €29.7K

-49.55%

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

$25.9K TZS 68.0M

$39.1K €34.9K

-33.69%

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

$56.6 TZS 148.5K

$379 €339

-85.08%

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

$8.88 TZS 23.3K

$19.31 €17.23

-54.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 TZS 90.5K

$48.41 €43.20

-28.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 TZS 223.9K

$40.31 €35.97

111.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.01 TZS 26.3K

$35.51 €31.69

-71.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 TZS 13.7K

$15.53 €13.86

-66.32%

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

$568 TZS 1.5M

$144 €128

295.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K TZS 35.1M

$15.8K €14.1K

-15.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.23 TZS 40.0K

$94.6 €84.5

-83.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.44 TZS 66.8K

$46.33 €41.34

-45.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.69 TZS 117.3K

$103 €92.2

-56.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 TZS 157.6K

$141 €126

-57.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 TZS 1.5M

$1,488 €1,328

-61.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 TZS 508.6K

$1,098 €980

-82.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 TZS 3.5M

$2,665 €2,378

-49.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 TZS 1.1M

$2,080 €1,856

-79.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,540 TZS 4.0M

$8,578 €7,655

-82.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,058 TZS 2.8M

$5,438 €4,853

-80.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$283 TZS 741.9K

$3,487 €3,112

-91.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

3.8

380.26%

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 Berlin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$194 27.5%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3% 466% $904

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Berlin

$351 13.8% 130% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.2%

Berlin

$447 17.6% 347% $347

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6%

Berlin

$71 2.8% 25.5% $24

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$72 10.2%

Berlin

$289 11.4% 302% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Berlin

$174 6.8% 165% $108

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 335% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $566 in Dar es Salaam versus $1,488 in Berlin. 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 1133% higher in Berlin, 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 $19.00 in Dar es Salaam versus $80.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $351 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

1 h behind Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 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 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).

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

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dar es Salaam Berlin 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 256%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,072 per month in Dar es Salaam and $3,818 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dar es Salaam, 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 $715 in Dar es Salaam and $2,545 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 256%.

Public transport costs about 378% less in Dar es Salaam. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dar es Salaam, where all-in costs run around $715, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dar es Salaam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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