Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $715 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai 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 Dubai and in Dar es Salaam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,854 per month in Dubai vs $715 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Dubai $2,854
Dar es Salaam $715

A couple spends around $4,321 per month in Dubai vs $1,114 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Dubai $4,321
Dar es Salaam $1,114

A family of three spends $5,788 per month in Dubai vs $1,513 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Dubai $5,788
Dar es Salaam $1,513

Dubai costs about 299% more than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubai sits 113% above the global median, while Dar es Salaam is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$1.88 TZS 4,931

593.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$18.70 TZS 49.1K

335.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$7.50 TZS 19.7K

24.27%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$1.93 TZS 5,069

209.33%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$0.35 TZS 910

365.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.22 TZS 578

268.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$1.01 TZS 2,643

1251.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$1.90 TZS 4,993

604.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$0.85 TZS 2,232

112.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$0.61 TZS 1,596

157.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$1.05 TZS 2,764

137.14%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$2.04 TZS 5,366

60.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$9.13 TZS 24.0K

38.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

108.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$3.99 TZS 10.5K

230.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$2.46 TZS 6,455

6.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.06 TZS 2,775

82.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$1.08 TZS 2,822

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$0.92 TZS 2,412

47.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$0.89 TZS 2,336

31.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.99 TZS 2,610

2.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$0.82 TZS 2,160

84.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.39 TZS 1,016

58.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$2.09 TZS 5,494

179.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$7.27 TZS 19.1K

122.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$0.94 TZS 2,455

181.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$1.63 TZS 4,267

80.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$0.26 TZS 688

530.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$14.84 TZS 38.9K

396.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$1.68 TZS 4,417

88.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$1.50 TZS 3,943

-52.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$13.03 TZS 34.2K

-38.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.37 TZS 3,591

-27.74%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$16.8K TZS 44.0M

63.23%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$25.9K TZS 68.0M

-12.96%

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

$250 AED 920

$56.6 TZS 148.5K

342.48%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$8.88 TZS 23.3K

510.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$34.50 TZS 90.5K

166.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$85.3 TZS 223.9K

15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$10.01 TZS 26.3K

325.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$5.23 TZS 13.7K

206.50%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$568 TZS 1.5M

48.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$13.4K TZS 35.1M

36.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$15.23 TZS 40.0K

346.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$25.44 TZS 66.8K

127.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$44.69 TZS 117.3K

125.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$60.1 TZS 157.6K

68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$566 TZS 1.5M

320.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$194 TZS 508.6K

676.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$1,348 TZS 3.5M

229.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$436 TZS 1.1M

590.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$1,540 TZS 4.0M

362.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$1,058 TZS 2.8M

290.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$283 TZS 741.9K

1099.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

18.25

-75.12%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Dar es Salaam

$194 27.5% 87.1% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.2% 74.8% $296

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Dar es Salaam

$72 10.2% 76.7% $237

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6% 48% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3% 55.6% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6% 26.7% $35

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6% 71.1% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,380 in Dubai versus $566 in Dar es Salaam. 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 1099% higher in Dubai, 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 $81.0 in Dubai versus $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $152 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

5,383,728

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,940 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Dar es Salaam 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Dar es Salaam

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

Dubai vs Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dubai is pricier by about 299%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,281 per month in Dubai and $1,072 in Dar es Salaam. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $843 per month in Dubai and $568 in Dar es Salaam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% more in Dubai, 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 Dar es Salaam, where all-in costs run around $715, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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