Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $702 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dar es Salaam and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $702 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $702
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,108 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,108
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,514
Mexico City $3,490

Dar es Salaam is about 56% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Dar es Salaam sits 48% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.87 TZS 4,890

$10.62 MX$198

-82.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

$48.35 MX$901

-61.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

$10.35 MX$193

-25.41%

Cappuccino

$2.01 TZS 5,272

$3.69 MX$68.7

-45.53%

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

$0.37 TZS 981

$1.67 MX$31.05

-77.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 577

$1.27 MX$23.58

-82.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 TZS 2,431

$3.19 MX$59.5

-70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 TZS 4,905

$5.31 MX$98.9

-64.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 TZS 2,157

$1.72 MX$32.13

-52.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 TZS 1,622

$3.04 MX$56.6

-79.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 TZS 2,865

$1.94 MX$36.17

-43.81%

Eggs

$1.85 TZS 4,845

$2.89 MX$53.8

-35.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 TZS 24.0K

$10.97 MX$204

-16.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 TZS 12.4K

$9.25 MX$172

-48.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

$15.13 MX$282

-73.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 TZS 6,481

$3.05 MX$56.8

-19.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,800

$1.94 MX$36.17

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,694

$2.03 MX$37.73

-49.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 TZS 2,324

$2.31 MX$43.12

-61.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 TZS 2,442

$2.04 MX$37.91

-54.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,593

$1.80 MX$33.53

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 TZS 2,173

$1.48 MX$27.56

-43.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,011

$1.27 MX$23.62

-69.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 TZS 5,605

$5.30 MX$98.8

-59.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

$16.10 MX$300

-54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 TZS 2,395

$1.98 MX$36.95

-54.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,020

$4.25 MX$79.2

-63.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 681

$0.31 MX$5.68

-16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.54 TZS 38.1K

$19.73 MX$368

-26.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 TZS 4,355

$1.84 MX$34.23

-9.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 TZS 3,992

$0.53 MX$9.94

186.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 TZS 34.5K

$5.30 MX$98.7

148.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 TZS 3,561

$1.51 MX$28.14

-9.93%

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

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

$21.8K MX$405.3K

-24.19%

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

$26.4K TZS 69.1M

$24.0K MX$446.9K

9.92%

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

$55.6 TZS 145.7K

$63.0 MX$1,173

-11.69%

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

$9.20 TZS 24.1K

$27.39 MX$510

-66.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.86 TZS 88.7K

$35.67 MX$664

-5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.9 TZS 219.8K

$58.9 MX$1,098

42.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.73 TZS 25.5K

$23.64 MX$441

-58.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

$6.40 MX$119

-22.34%

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

$559 TZS 1.5M

$432 MX$8,041

29.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K TZS 34.2M

$11.4K MX$212.8K

14.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.31 TZS 40.1K

$68.2 MX$1,271

-77.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.76 TZS 67.5K

$53.1 MX$990

-51.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.36 TZS 116.2K

$108 MX$2,008

-58.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

$117 MX$2,185

-49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 TZS 1.5M

$1,113 MX$20.7K

-49.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 TZS 510.0K

$710 MX$13.2K

-72.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-48.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 TZS 1.1M

$1,406 MX$26.2K

-69.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

$3,631 MX$67.6K

-57.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 TZS 2.8M

$2,135 MX$39.8K

-50.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 TZS 746.4K

$946 MX$17.6K

-69.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

11.35

60.79%

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 Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 265% $516

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 111% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 27.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 23.6% $22

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 172% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 140% $91

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 2.4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Dar es Salaam versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 3.3 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 $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $320 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

22:46 10:46 PM

9 h behind Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dar es Salaam Mexico City 15,310 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Dar es Salaam
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 129%, 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 $2,412 in Mexico City. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $565 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $559 per month in Dar es Salaam and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 111% more in Mexico City, 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 Mexico City at $1,608. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $702 in Dar es Salaam to $1,608 in Mexico City. 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, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.