Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dodoma and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dodoma: $429 a month against $702 in Dar es Salaam, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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

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Dodoma

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$429

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Dar es Salaam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $429 per month in Dodoma vs $702 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Dodoma $429
Dar es Salaam $702

A couple spends around $614 per month in Dodoma vs $1,108 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Dodoma $614
Dar es Salaam $1,108

A family of three spends $799 per month in Dodoma vs $1,514 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Dodoma $799
Dar es Salaam $1,514

Dodoma is about 39% cheaper than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Dodoma and Dar es Salaam are more affordable than the global median – Dodoma 69% lower, Dar es Salaam 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.62 TZS 6,850

$1.87 TZS 4,890

40.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.72 TZS 49.0K

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

-0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 TZS 20.3K

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

0.65%

Cappuccino

$1.93 TZS 5,059

$2.01 TZS 5,272

-3.98%

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

$0.33 TZS 870

$0.37 TZS 981

-10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 TZS 2,338

$0.22 TZS 577

304.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 TZS 2,133

$0.93 TZS 2,431

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 TZS 8,189

$1.87 TZS 4,905

67.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 TZS 2,416

$0.82 TZS 2,157

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 TZS 2,176

$0.62 TZS 1,622

33.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,660

$1.09 TZS 2,865

-6.42%

Eggs

$2.24 TZS 5,871

$1.85 TZS 4,845

21.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.51 TZS 14.4K

$9.16 TZS 24.0K

-39.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 TZS 17.9K

$4.72 TZS 12.4K

44.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.67 TZS 9,609

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

-8.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 TZS 6,293

$2.47 TZS 6,481

-2.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 TZS 2,426

$1.07 TZS 2,800

-13.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 TZS 2,017

$1.03 TZS 2,694

-25.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 TZS 3,908

$0.89 TZS 2,324

67.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,674

$0.93 TZS 2,442

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 TZS 4,547

$0.99 TZS 2,593

75.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 TZS 1,193

$0.83 TZS 2,173

-44.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 TZS 1,025

$0.39 TZS 1,011

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.53 TZS 4,019

$2.14 TZS 5,605

-28.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.82 TZS 9,997

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

-47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 TZS 2,331

$0.91 TZS 2,395

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 TZS 3,143

$1.54 TZS 4,020

-22.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TZS 681

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.54 TZS 38.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 TZS 4,355

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 TZS 3,992

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 TZS 34.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 TZS 3,628

$1.36 TZS 3,561

2.21%

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

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

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

$26.4K TZS 69.1M

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

$55.6 TZS 145.7K

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

$18.60 TZS 48.7K

$9.20 TZS 24.1K

102.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.75 TZS 49.1K

$33.86 TZS 88.7K

-44.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 TZS 146.0K

$83.9 TZS 219.8K

-33.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.53 TZS 19.7K

$9.73 TZS 25.5K

-22.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 TZS 9,727

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

-25.35%

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

$559 TZS 1.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K TZS 34.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.39 TZS 19.4K

$15.31 TZS 40.1K

-51.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.76 TZS 67.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.36 TZS 116.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 TZS 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.3 TZS 247.0K

$195 TZS 510.0K

-51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 TZS 1.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 TZS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 TZS 746.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

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

Last update for Dodoma: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dodoma

–

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8%

Groceries & Markets

Dodoma

–

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dodoma

–

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Dodoma

–

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4%

Eating Out

Dodoma

–

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Dodoma

–

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3%

Getting Around

Dodoma

–

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dodoma versus $19 in Dar es Salaam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $152 – making Dodoma the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Dodoma

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

Same time as Dodoma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

765,179 Capital

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Dodoma Dar es Salaam 400 km

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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 Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dar es Salaam is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $643 per month in Dodoma and $1,052 in Dar es Salaam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $429 in Dodoma and $702 in Dar es Salaam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Dar es Salaam has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $429 in Dodoma to $702 in Dar es Salaam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.