Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $581 a month against $707 in Dar es Salaam, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index

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Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$707

/mo nomad

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $707 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $581 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $707
Zanzibar $581

A couple spends around $1,121 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $866 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,121
Zanzibar $866

A family of three spends $1,535 per month in Dar es Salaam vs $1,151 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Dar es Salaam $1,535
Zanzibar $1,151

Dar es Salaam costs about 22% more than Zanzibar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar are more affordable than the global median – Dar es Salaam 48% lower, Zanzibar 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 TZS 5,066

$4.66 TZS 12.2K

-58.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.16 TZS 50.2K

$21.44 TZS 56.1K

-10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 TZS 19.9K

$5.52 TZS 14.4K

37.68%

Cappuccino

$2.02 TZS 5,285

$2.15 TZS 5,632

-6.05%

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

$0.37 TZS 975

$0.60 TZS 1,560

-38.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 TZS 577

$0.31 TZS 807

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 TZS 2,452

$1.91 TZS 5,005

-50.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 TZS 5,091

$2.63 TZS 6,900

-26.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 TZS 2,121

$2.05 TZS 5,377

-60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 TZS 1,616

$0.73 TZS 1,900

-15.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 TZS 2,861

$0.83 TZS 2,181

31.33%

Eggs

$2.04 TZS 5,343

$2.70 TZS 7,065

-24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 TZS 24.4K

$7.62 TZS 20.0K

22.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 TZS 12.5K

$2.30 TZS 6,016

107.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.98 TZS 10.4K

$6.14 TZS 16.1K

-35.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 TZS 6,544

$2.83 TZS 7,401

-11.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 TZS 2,801

$1.12 TZS 2,936

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 TZS 2,724

$0.72 TZS 1,898

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,418

$0.60 TZS 1,564

53.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 TZS 2,491

$0.93 TZS 2,434

2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 TZS 2,702

$1.54 TZS 4,030

-33.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 TZS 2,114

$0.74 TZS 1,935

9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 TZS 1,002

$0.45 TZS 1,172

-15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 TZS 5,477

$2.15 TZS 5,643

-2.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 TZS 18.4K

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

-25.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 TZS 2,272

$1.49 TZS 3,893

-41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 TZS 4,138

$1.31 TZS 3,433

20.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 681

$0.29 TZS 749

-10.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.62 TZS 38.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 TZS 4,227

$3.78 TZS 9,895

-57.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 TZS 3,907

$0.72 TZS 1,897

106.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 TZS 34.9K

$2.58 TZS 6,768

417.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 TZS 3,727

$1.23 TZS 3,210

15.45%

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

$48.9K TZS 128.0M

-45.91%

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

$56.9 TZS 149.1K

$75.4 TZS 197.5K

-24.51%

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

$9.17 TZS 24.0K

$11.30 TZS 29.6K

-18.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.48 TZS 87.7K

$49.16 TZS 128.7K

-31.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.9 TZS 224.9K

$29.18 TZS 76.4K

194.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 TZS 26.4K

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 TZS 13.2K

$9.68 TZS 25.3K

-47.83%

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

$565 TZS 1.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K TZS 34.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.27 TZS 40.0K

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

17.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.42 TZS 66.6K

$17.26 TZS 45.2K

47.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.19 TZS 115.7K

$15.13 TZS 39.6K

192.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 TZS 155.7K

$13.42 TZS 35.2K

343.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 TZS 1.5M

$153 TZS 400.6K

273.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 TZS 513.6K

$98.7 TZS 258.5K

98.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 TZS 3.4M

$198 TZS 519.2K

561.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 TZS 1.2M

$150 TZS 392.7K

194.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 TZS 4.1M

$37.7K TZS 98.8M

-95.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 TZS 2.8M

$11.3K TZS 29.5M

-90.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 TZS 722.7K

$312 TZS 818.4K

-11.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

82.50%

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 Zanzibar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dar es Salaam

$196 27.7%

Zanzibar

$99 17% 49.7% $97

Groceries & Markets

Dar es Salaam

$153 21.6%

Zanzibar

$164 28.3% 7.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.1%

Zanzibar

$136 23.4% 36.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6%

Zanzibar

$49 8.4% 49.4% $47

Eating Out

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Zanzibar

$98 16.9% 33.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.2%

Zanzibar

$26 4.6% 59.2% $38

Getting Around

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Zanzibar

$8.5 * 1.5% 65.5% $16

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 $153 in Zanzibar. 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 13% higher in Zanzibar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Dar es Salaam versus $21.00 in Zanzibar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $164 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Dar es Salaam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,383,728

709,809

💱 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

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Between locations

Dar es Salaam Zanzibar 73 km

From you

Dar es Salaam
Zanzibar

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 Zanzibar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dar es Salaam is pricier by about 22%, 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 $871 in Zanzibar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Dar es Salaam – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Dar es Salaam and $21.00 in Zanzibar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanzibar, where all-in costs run around $581, than in Dar es Salaam at $707. In Zanzibar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dar es Salaam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Zanzibar. 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.