Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dodoma and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Dodoma: $439 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Dodoma

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$439

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dodoma 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 Dodoma and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $439 per month in Dodoma vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Dodoma $439
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $625 per month in Dodoma vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Dodoma $625
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $811 per month in Dodoma vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Dodoma $811
Cape Town $3,307

Dodoma is about 72% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Dodoma sits 67% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 TZS 6,925

$11.78 R 194

-77.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.09 TZS 50.1K

$46.55 R 768

-58.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 TZS 19.4K

$5.96 R 98.4

23.99%

Cappuccino

$1.84 TZS 4,828

$2.47 R 40.80

-25.51%

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

$0.31 TZS 806

$1.33 R 21.91

-76.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 TZS 2,253

$1.03 R 16.99

-16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 TZS 2,138

$3.01 R 49.72

-73.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 TZS 8,389

$3.66 R 60.4

-12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 TZS 2,337

$1.39 R 22.96

-35.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 TZS 2,250

$1.19 R 19.60

-27.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,665

$2.11 R 34.84

-51.66%

Eggs

$2.27 TZS 5,959

$3.01 R 49.58

-24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.84 TZS 15.3K

$8.96 R 148

-34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 TZS 17.5K

$6.65 R 110

0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.69 TZS 9,679

$9.29 R 153

-60.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 TZS 6,500

$1.83 R 30.13

35.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 TZS 2,280

$1.90 R 31.31

-54.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,047

$1.75 R 28.83

-55.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 TZS 3,928

$2.09 R 34.41

-28.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 TZS 2,759

$1.55 R 25.64

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TZS 4,394

$1.49 R 24.53

12.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 TZS 1,204

$1.30 R 21.41

-64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,028

$1.16 R 19.19

-66.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 TZS 4,058

$3.71 R 61.2

-58.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.89 TZS 10.2K

$6.06 R 100

-35.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 TZS 2,289

$1.39 R 22.85

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 TZS 3,173

$2.20 R 36.32

-45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 TZS 3,659

$1.58 R 26.08

-12.03%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$116 R 1,920

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

$18.80 TZS 49.3K

$28.37 R 468

-33.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.16 TZS 50.3K

$40.69 R 671

-52.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 TZS 149.2K

$48.85 R 806

16.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

$11.13 R 184

-30.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.75 TZS 9,834

$8.83 R 146

-57.53%

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.61 TZS 20.0K

$55.4 R 914

-86.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.5 TZS 253.3K

$715 R 11.8K

-86.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Dodoma: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dodoma

–

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Groceries & Markets

Dodoma

–

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dodoma

–

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Eating Out

Dodoma

–

Cape Town

$174 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Dodoma

–

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Getting Around

Dodoma

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Dodoma

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Dodoma versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $222 – making Dodoma the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dodoma

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

1 h behind Dodoma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

765,179 Capital

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 = 5.4 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 = 2,943 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 = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dodoma Cape Town 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dodoma
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

Dodoma vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 257% more than Dodoma, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $658 per month in Dodoma and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $439 in Dodoma and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 257%.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dodoma, where all-in costs run around $439, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Dodoma 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. Dodoma costs $439 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 Dodoma. 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.