Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Mbeya

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $427 a month against $707 in Dar es Salaam, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$707

/mo nomad

Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $707 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $427 in Mbeya, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $707
Mbeya $427

A couple spends around $1,121 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $660 in Mbeya, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,121
Mbeya $660

A family of three spends $1,535 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $892 in Mbeya, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,535
Mbeya $892

Dar es Salaam costs about 66% more than Mbeya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Dar es Salaam and Mbeya are more affordable than the global median – Dar es Salaam 48% lower, Mbeya 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 TZS 5,066

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.16 TZS 50.2K

$22.70 TZS 59.4K

-15.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 TZS 19.9K

$7.69 TZS 20.1K

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$2.02 TZS 5,285

$1.55 TZS 4,048

30.32%

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

$0.37 TZS 975

$0.36 TZS 949

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 577

$0.36 TZS 948

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 TZS 2,452

$0.78 TZS 2,053

20.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 TZS 5,091

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 TZS 2,121

$0.55 TZS 1,446

47.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 TZS 1,616

$0.92 TZS 2,413

-32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 TZS 2,861

$0.92 TZS 2,414

18.48%

Eggs

$2.04 TZS 5,343

$2.24 TZS 5,874

-8.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 TZS 24.4K

$3.89 TZS 10.2K

139.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 TZS 12.5K

$3.70 TZS 9,686

28.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.98 TZS 10.4K

$3.39 TZS 8,874

17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 TZS 6,544

$1.17 TZS 3,069

113.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,801

$0.75 TZS 1,956

42.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 TZS 2,724

$0.92 TZS 2,409

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,418

$0.80 TZS 2,083

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 TZS 2,491

$0.98 TZS 2,571

-3.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,702

$0.75 TZS 1,963

37.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 TZS 2,114

$0.56 TZS 1,461

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 TZS 1,002

$0.77 TZS 2,027

-50.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 TZS 5,477

$1.16 TZS 3,037

80.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 TZS 18.4K

$3.88 TZS 10.2K

81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 TZS 2,272

$0.78 TZS 2,039

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 TZS 4,138

$1.16 TZS 3,050

36.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 681

$0.36 TZS 946

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.62 TZS 38.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 TZS 4,227

$1.11 TZS 2,909

45.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 TZS 3,907

$1.85 TZS 4,858

-19.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 TZS 34.9K

$2.63 TZS 6,877

407.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 TZS 3,727

$1.19 TZS 3,113

19.33%

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

$17.1K TZS 44.8M

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

$26.4K TZS 69.2M

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

$56.9 TZS 149.1K

$24.53 TZS 64.2K

132.04%

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

$9.17 TZS 24.0K

$18.82 TZS 49.3K

-51.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.48 TZS 87.7K

$45.86 TZS 120.1K

-27.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.9 TZS 224.9K

$38.53 TZS 100.9K

122.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 TZS 26.4K

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 TZS 13.2K

$9.62 TZS 25.2K

-47.51%

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

$565 TZS 1.5M

$189 TZS 495.2K

199.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K TZS 34.3M

$1,132 TZS 3.0M

1058.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.27 TZS 40.0K

$11.28 TZS 29.5K

35.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.42 TZS 66.6K

$9.33 TZS 24.4K

172.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.19 TZS 115.7K

$18.72 TZS 49.0K

136.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 TZS 155.7K

$26.44 TZS 69.3K

124.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 TZS 1.5M

$114 TZS 298.0K

402.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 TZS 513.6K

$74.7 TZS 195.5K

162.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 TZS 3.4M

$188 TZS 493.6K

596.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 TZS 1.2M

$113 TZS 295.1K

292.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 TZS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 TZS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 TZS 722.7K

$190 TZS 496.4K

45.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

40.38%

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

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mbeya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$196 27.7%

Mbeya

$75 17.5% 61.9% $121

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$153 21.6%

Mbeya

$116 27.1% 24.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.1%

Mbeya

$89 20.9% 10.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6%

Mbeya

$58 13.5% 39.8% $38

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Mbeya

$48 * 11.3% 34% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.2%

Mbeya

$30 6.9% 54.4% $35

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8% 52.2% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $572 in Dar es Salaam versus $114 in Mbeya. 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 46% higher in Dar es Salaam, 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 $23.00 in Mbeya. Groceries tell a different story – $153 in Dar es Salaam vs $116 in Mbeya – so Mbeya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

Same time as Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

541,603

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dar es Salaam Mbeya 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Mbeya

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 Mbeya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dar es Salaam is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,061 per month in Dar es Salaam and $641 in Mbeya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Dar es Salaam and $23.00 in Mbeya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Dar es Salaam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mbeya, where all-in costs run around $427, than in Dar es Salaam at $707. In Mbeya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dar es Salaam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mbeya – 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 Mbeya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dar es Salaam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.