Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $707 a month against $825 in Mandaue, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
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Mandaue Living Index
34

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

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Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$825

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $825 per month in Mandaue vs $707 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Mandaue $825
Dar es Salaam $707

A couple spends around $1,203 per month in Mandaue vs $1,121 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Mandaue $1,203
Dar es Salaam $1,121

A family of three spends $1,581 per month in Mandaue vs $1,535 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Mandaue $1,581
Dar es Salaam $1,535

Mandaue costs about 17% more than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mandaue and Dar es Salaam are more affordable than the global median – Mandaue 39% lower, Dar es Salaam 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ₱187

$1.93 TZS 5,066

53.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.45 ₱1,476

$19.16 TZS 50.2K

22.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$7.60 TZS 19.9K

-47.50%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱162

$2.02 TZS 5,285

27.72%

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

$1.54 ₱97.0

$0.37 TZS 975

316.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.05

$0.22 TZS 577

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ₱108

$0.94 TZS 2,452

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₱144

$1.94 TZS 5,091

17.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱123

$0.81 TZS 2,121

140.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.7

$0.62 TZS 1,616

75.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.7

$1.09 TZS 2,861

-14.68%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱124

$2.04 TZS 5,343

-3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ₱624

$9.31 TZS 24.4K

6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ₱275

$4.77 TZS 12.5K

-8.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱481

$3.98 TZS 10.4K

91.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱219

$2.50 TZS 6,544

38.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ₱90.0

$1.07 TZS 2,801

33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱144

$1.04 TZS 2,724

119.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ₱92.5

$0.92 TZS 2,418

59.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.95 TZS 2,491

146.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₱124

$1.03 TZS 2,702

91.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.81 TZS 2,114

46.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.41

$0.38 TZS 1,002

76.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₱149

$2.09 TZS 5,477

13.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 ₱396

$7.04 TZS 18.4K

-10.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$0.87 TZS 2,272

41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$1.58 TZS 4,138

8.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.97

$0.26 TZS 681

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 ₱609

$14.62 TZS 38.3K

-33.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.69

$1.61 TZS 4,227

-54.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.19

$1.49 TZS 3,907

-85.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$13.34 TZS 34.9K

-85.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.3

$1.42 TZS 3,727

-7.04%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$17.1K TZS 44.8M

24.20%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$26.4K TZS 69.2M

-27.63%

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

$98.3 ₱6,187

$56.9 TZS 149.1K

72.65%

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

$14.07 ₱886

$9.17 TZS 24.0K

53.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 ₱1,758

$33.48 TZS 87.7K

-16.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 ₱2,078

$85.9 TZS 224.9K

-61.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 ₱332

$10.07 TZS 26.4K

-47.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ₱358

$5.05 TZS 13.2K

12.67%

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

$130 ₱8,204

$565 TZS 1.5M

-76.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,979 ₱502.4K

$13.1K TZS 34.3M

-39.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₱2,072

$15.27 TZS 40.0K

115.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 ₱1,235

$25.42 TZS 66.6K

-22.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ₱4,790

$44.19 TZS 115.7K

72.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 ₱3,632

$59.5 TZS 155.7K

-2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$572 TZS 1.5M

-24.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$196 TZS 513.6K

28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₱47.1K

$1,312 TZS 3.4M

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.2K

$442 TZS 1.2M

-20.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,174 ₱136.9K

$1,556 TZS 4.1M

39.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$902 ₱56.8K

$1,069 TZS 2.8M

-15.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$234 ₱14.8K

$276 TZS 722.7K

-15.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

18.25

-60.55%

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

Last update for Mandaue: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaue

$251 30.5%

Dar es Salaam

$196 27.7% 22% $55

Groceries & Markets

Mandaue

$205 24.8%

Dar es Salaam

$153 21.6% 25.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaue

$140 17%

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.1% 29% $41

Eating Out

Mandaue

$88 10.7%

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4% 16.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaue

$84 10.2%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.2% 22.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaue

$44 5.4%

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6% 116% $52

Getting Around

Mandaue

$12 1.5%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5% 99.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Mandaue versus $572 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 18% higher in Dar es Salaam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Mandaue versus $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $153 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

04:24 4:24 AM

5 h behind Mandaue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,116

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

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 PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mandaue Dar es Salaam 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandaue
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

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

Yes – Mandaue is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,237 per month in Mandaue and $1,061 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 $130 per month in Mandaue and $565 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 34% more in Mandaue, 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 $707, than in Mandaue at $825. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mandaue 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, Mandaue makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.