Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $699 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
34

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

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $699 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Dar es Salaam $699

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $1,111 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Dar es Salaam $1,111

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $1,523 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Dar es Salaam $1,523

Lisbon costs about 215% more than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Dar es Salaam is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$1.90 TZS 4,978

796.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$18.67 TZS 48.9K

233.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$7.60 TZS 19.9K

45.00%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.89 TZS 4,961

65.08%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$0.37 TZS 971

513.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.22 TZS 577

690.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$0.96 TZS 2,507

256.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$1.86 TZS 4,877

101.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.81 TZS 2,133

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.57 TZS 1,491

226.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.06 TZS 2,773

45.28%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.90 TZS 4,984

113.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.01 TZS 23.6K

43.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$4.85 TZS 12.7K

62.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$3.97 TZS 10.4K

344.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.53 TZS 6,619

-10.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.12 TZS 2,927

56.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.04 TZS 2,717

81.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$0.86 TZS 2,249

197.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.95 TZS 2,477

94.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.02 TZS 2,677

93.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.81 TZS 2,112

79.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.39 TZS 1,013

97.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$2.05 TZS 5,366

227.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$7.10 TZS 18.6K

-20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.92 TZS 2,399

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.60 TZS 4,190

31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.24 TZS 627

866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$15.01 TZS 39.3K

196.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$1.62 TZS 4,235

143.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.55 TZS 4,070

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$13.03 TZS 34.1K

31.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.43 TZS 3,745

53.15%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$16.8K TZS 43.9M

101.62%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$26.0K TZS 68.0M

47.45%

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

$164 €146

$56.9 TZS 149.0K

187.94%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$9.17 TZS 24.0K

101.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$33.33 TZS 87.3K

-1.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$85.5 TZS 224.0K

-46.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$9.88 TZS 25.9K

89.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$4.98 TZS 13.1K

95.78%

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

$684 €608

$576 TZS 1.5M

18.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$13.2K TZS 34.6M

33.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$15.48 TZS 40.5K

570.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$26.19 TZS 68.6K

76.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$43.77 TZS 114.6K

127.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

112.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$568 TZS 1.5M

179.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$191 TZS 500.4K

511.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,352 TZS 3.5M

110.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$440 TZS 1.2M

353.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$1,519 TZS 4.0M

413.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$1,054 TZS 2.8M

319.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$277 TZS 725.1K

477.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

18.25

-78.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Dar es Salaam

$191 27.3% 83.7% $978

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Dar es Salaam

$151 21.7% 44.6% $122

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Dar es Salaam

$72 10.2% 71.1% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.2% 53.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3% 61.5% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.7% 46.1% $30

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.6% 59.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $568 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 478% higher in Lisbon, 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 $62.0 in Lisbon versus $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $151 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Dar es Salaam 7,100 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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

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

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 215%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $1,049 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 $684 per month in Lisbon and $576 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 80% more in Lisbon, 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 $699, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon 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, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.