Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Arusha Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Arusha

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $298 per month in Kottayam vs $201 in Arusha, rent included.

A couple spends around $498 per month in Kottayam vs $358 in Arusha, rent included.

A family of three spends $697 per month in Kottayam vs $514 in Arusha, rent included.

Kottayam costs about 48% more than Arusha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Kottayam and Arusha are more affordable than the global median – Kottayam 78% lower, Arusha 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.19 ₹113

$3.40 TZS 8,767

-65.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.03 ₹955

$27.94 TZS 72.1K

-64.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.96 ₹378

$9.09 TZS 23.4K

-56.44%

Cappuccino

$0.61 ₹57.7

$1.70 TZS 4,382

-64.12%

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

$0.40 ₹38.48

$0.43 TZS 1,113

-6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹15.18

$0.31 TZS 799

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₹131

$1.08 TZS 2,790

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₹270

$2.98 TZS 7,677

-4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.2

$0.63 TZS 1,634

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₹41.24

$0.60 TZS 1,554

-28.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₹74.3

$0.91 TZS 2,336

-14.29%

Eggs

$0.82 ₹78.1

$1.70 TZS 4,384

-51.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.27 ₹216

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ₹289

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₹218

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.8

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₹108

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.84

$0.79 TZS 2,027

-37.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹45.24

$0.41 TZS 1,048

14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₹43.39

$1.00 TZS 2,571

-54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ₹38.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₹31.30

$0.47 TZS 1,212

-29.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 ₹396

Wine (Bottle)

$3.97 ₹378

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₹163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₹338

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.49 ₹428

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.61

$0.19 TZS 497

57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.52 ₹812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₹113

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹30.86

$1.94 TZS 4,992

-83.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ₹160

$7.50 TZS 19.3K

-77.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₹112

$1.23 TZS 3,184

-4.07%

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

$9,374 ₹892.9K

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

$15.2K ₹1.4M

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

$27.76 ₹2,644

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

$3.39 ₹323

$9.42 TZS 24.3K

-64.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.49 ₹809

$50.3 TZS 129.7K

-83.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.86 ₹844

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.69 ₹1,114

Cinema Ticket

$2.10 ₹200

$3.97 TZS 10.2K

-47.10%

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

$57.6 ₹5,482

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,564 ₹149.0K

$10.4K TZS 26.9M

-85.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.36 ₹2,225

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.48 ₹1,665

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.68 ₹2,446

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.46 ₹1,663

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$139 ₹13.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.0 ₹5,527

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₹27.4K

$294 TZS 759.3K

-2.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ₹15.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$957 ₹91.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$548 ₹52.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$291 ₹27.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.36

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

Last update for Kottayam: June 1, 2026

Last update for Arusha: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Kottayam versus $28.00 in Arusha. Groceries tell a different story – $93.0 in Kottayam vs $36.00 in Arusha – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Kottayam vs Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $298 in Kottayam, $201 in Arusha – roughly 48% apart. Kottayam costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $448 per month in Kottayam and $302 in Arusha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Kottayam and $28.00 in Arusha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $298 in Kottayam and $201 in Arusha. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $298 in Kottayam and $201 in Arusha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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