Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Johor Bahru

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $702 a month against $1,080 in Johor Bahru, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Johor Bahru
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Johor Bahru Living Index

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Johor Bahru

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dar es Salaam and in Johor Bahru

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

A single person spends $702 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,080 in Johor Bahru, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $702
Johor Bahru $1,080

A couple spends around $1,108 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,611 in Johor Bahru, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,108
Johor Bahru $1,611

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $2,141 in Johor Bahru, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,514
Johor Bahru $2,141

Dar es Salaam is about 35% cheaper than Johor Bahru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dar es Salaam and Johor Bahru are more affordable than the global median – Dar es Salaam 48% lower, Johor Bahru 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.87 TZS 4,890

$3.57 MYR 14.53

-47.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

$18.54 MYR 75.5

1.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

$5.03 MYR 20.49

53.48%

Cappuccino

$2.01 TZS 5,272

$3.00 MYR 12.21

-33.00%

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

$0.37 TZS 981

$0.85 MYR 3.45

-56.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 577

$0.56 MYR 2.30

-60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 TZS 2,431

$4.54 MYR 18.50

-79.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 TZS 4,905

$6.27 MYR 25.53

-70.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 TZS 2,157

$1.70 MYR 6.92

-51.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 TZS 1,622

$1.05 MYR 4.28

-40.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 TZS 2,865

$1.42 MYR 5.77

-23.24%

Eggs

$1.85 TZS 4,845

$1.73 MYR 7.04

6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 TZS 24.0K

$18.23 MYR 74.3

-49.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 TZS 12.4K

$4.57 MYR 18.62

3.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

$10.51 MYR 42.80

-61.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 TZS 6,481

$3.28 MYR 13.38

-24.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,800

$1.74 MYR 7.09

-38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,694

$3.91 MYR 15.94

-73.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 TZS 2,324

$1.64 MYR 6.68

-45.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 TZS 2,442

$1.41 MYR 5.73

-34.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,593

$1.65 MYR 6.71

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 TZS 2,173

$1.37 MYR 5.56

-39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,011

$0.56 MYR 2.26

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 TZS 5,605

$4.19 MYR 17.06

-48.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

$14.20 MYR 57.9

-48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 TZS 2,395

$2.92 MYR 11.91

-68.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,020

$3.03 MYR 12.33

-49.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 681

$0.70 MYR 2.83

-62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.54 TZS 38.1K

$12.36 MYR 50.4

17.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 TZS 4,355

$0.94 MYR 3.84

76.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 TZS 3,992

$0.75 MYR 3.07

102.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 TZS 34.5K

$9.95 MYR 40.54

32.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 TZS 3,561

$0.83 MYR 3.37

63.86%

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

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

$43.9K MYR 178.7K

-62.41%

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

$26.4K TZS 69.1M

$35.7K MYR 145.6K

-26.21%

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

$55.6 TZS 145.7K

$52.7 MYR 215

5.60%

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

$9.20 TZS 24.1K

$11.01 MYR 44.86

-16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.86 TZS 88.7K

$28.28 MYR 115

19.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 TZS 219.8K

$41.28 MYR 168

103.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.73 TZS 25.5K

$5.80 MYR 23.61

67.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

$4.81 MYR 19.61

3.33%

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

$559 TZS 1.5M

$239 MYR 975

133.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K TZS 34.2M

$4,518 MYR 18.4K

188.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.31 TZS 40.1K

$54.6 MYR 222

-71.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.76 TZS 67.5K

$16.53 MYR 67.3

55.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.36 TZS 116.2K

$81.3 MYR 331

-45.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

$98.3 MYR 400

-40.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 TZS 1.5M

$523 MYR 2,132

7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 TZS 510.0K

$416 MYR 1,693

-53.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

$983 MYR 4,004

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 TZS 1.1M

$707 MYR 2,881

-38.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

$2,002 MYR 8,154

-23.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 TZS 2.8M

$1,214 MYR 4,944

-13.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 TZS 746.4K

$1,076 MYR 4,382

-73.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

4.06

349.51%

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

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 25, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8%

Johor Bahru

$416 38.5% 113% $221

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Johor Bahru

$269 24.9% 77.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1%

Johor Bahru

$92 8.5% 6.8% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Johor Bahru

$51 4.7% 45.8% $43

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Johor Bahru

$120 11.2% 65% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Johor Bahru

$113 10.4% 73.9% $48

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Johor Bahru

$20 1.8% 20.1% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Dar es Salaam versus $523 in Johor Bahru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Johor Bahru are about 3.8 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 $19 in Johor Bahru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $269 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇲🇾 Johor Bahru

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

13:11 1:11 PM

5 h ahead of Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

858,118

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,916 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dar es Salaam Johor Bahru 7,210 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Johor Bahru

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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Johor Bahru is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,052 per month in Dar es Salaam and $1,620 in Johor Bahru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $565 in Dar es Salaam and $523 in Johor Bahru. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Johor Bahru. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 77% more in Johor Bahru, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dar es Salaam, where all-in costs run around $702, than in Johor Bahru at $1,080. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johor Bahru it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dar es Salaam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $702 in Dar es Salaam to $1,080 in Johor Bahru. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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