Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $715 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$715

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dar es Salaam and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $715
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,114 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,114
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,513 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,513
Cape Town $3,307

Dar es Salaam is about 54% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dar es Salaam sits 47% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.88 TZS 4,931

$11.78 R 194

-84.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 TZS 49.1K

$46.55 R 768

-59.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 TZS 19.7K

$5.96 R 98.4

25.84%

Cappuccino

$1.93 TZS 5,069

$2.47 R 40.80

-21.86%

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

$0.35 TZS 910

$1.33 R 21.91

-73.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 578

$1.03 R 16.99

-78.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 TZS 2,643

$3.01 R 49.72

-66.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 TZS 4,993

$3.66 R 60.4

-48.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 TZS 2,232

$1.39 R 22.96

-38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 TZS 1,596

$1.19 R 19.60

-48.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 TZS 2,764

$2.11 R 34.84

-50.24%

Eggs

$2.04 TZS 5,366

$3.01 R 49.58

-32.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 TZS 24.0K

$8.96 R 148

1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

$6.65 R 110

-29.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.99 TZS 10.5K

$9.29 R 153

-57.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 TZS 6,455

$1.83 R 30.13

34.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 TZS 2,775

$1.90 R 31.31

-44.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 TZS 2,822

$1.75 R 28.83

-38.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,412

$2.09 R 34.41

-55.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 TZS 2,336

$1.55 R 25.64

-42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,610

$1.49 R 24.53

-33.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 TZS 2,160

$1.30 R 21.41

-36.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,016

$1.16 R 19.19

-66.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 TZS 5,494

$3.71 R 61.2

-43.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.1K

$6.06 R 100

19.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 TZS 2,455

$1.39 R 22.85

-32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 TZS 4,267

$2.20 R 36.32

-25.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 688

$1.51 R 24.98

-82.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.84 TZS 38.9K

$61.0 R 1,006

-75.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 TZS 4,417

$0.63 R 10.33

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 TZS 3,943

$1.53 R 25.29

-1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.03 TZS 34.2K

$4.81 R 79.4

170.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 TZS 3,591

$1.58 R 26.08

-13.29%

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

$16.8K TZS 44.0M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-52.76%

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

$25.9K TZS 68.0M

$31.7K R 523.8K

-18.43%

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

$56.6 TZS 148.5K

$116 R 1,920

-51.37%

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

$8.88 TZS 23.3K

$28.37 R 468

-68.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 TZS 90.5K

$40.69 R 671

-15.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 TZS 223.9K

$48.85 R 806

74.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.01 TZS 26.3K

$11.13 R 184

-10.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 TZS 13.7K

$8.83 R 146

-40.77%

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

$568 TZS 1.5M

$261 R 4,314

117.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K TZS 35.1M

$6,702 R 110.6K

99.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.23 TZS 40.0K

$55.4 R 914

-72.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.44 TZS 66.8K

$32.27 R 532

-21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.69 TZS 117.3K

$118 R 1,939

-61.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 TZS 157.6K

$107 R 1,766

-43.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 TZS 1.5M

$1,015 R 16.7K

-44.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 TZS 508.6K

$715 R 11.8K

-72.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 TZS 3.5M

$1,801 R 29.7K

-25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 TZS 1.1M

$1,330 R 22.0K

-67.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,540 TZS 4.0M

$2,331 R 38.5K

-33.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,058 TZS 2.8M

$1,513 R 25.0K

-30.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$283 TZS 741.9K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-82.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

10.97

66.36%

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 Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$194 27.5%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 269% $522

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 46.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.2%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 85.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 30.6% $29

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$72 10.2%

Cape Town

$174 11% 142% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 115% $75

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 200% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $566 in Dar es Salaam versus $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 479% higher in Cape Town, 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 $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $222 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h behind Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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 = 2,940 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dar es Salaam Cape Town 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 119% more than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,072 per month in Dar es Salaam and $2,352 in Cape Town. 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 $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 119%.

Public transport costs about 311% 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 Cape Town at $1,568. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dar es Salaam costs $715 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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