Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbeya and Arusha

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $427 a month against $546 in Arusha, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Arusha outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index

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Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$427

/mo nomad

Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mbeya and in Arusha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mbeya and in Arusha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $427 per month in Mbeya vs $546 in Arusha, rent included.

Mbeya $427
Arusha $546

A couple spends around $658 per month in Mbeya vs $882 in Arusha, rent included.

Mbeya $658
Arusha $882

A family of three spends $888 per month in Mbeya vs $1,218 in Arusha, rent included.

Mbeya $888
Arusha $1,218

Mbeya is about 22% cheaper than Arusha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mbeya and Arusha are more affordable than the global median – Mbeya 69% lower, Arusha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 TZS 8,701

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.53 TZS 59.0K

$27.18 TZS 71.2K

-17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 TZS 20.2K

$8.89 TZS 23.3K

-13.27%

Cappuccino

$1.55 TZS 4,053

$1.64 TZS 4,303

-5.49%

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

$0.39 TZS 1,025

$0.92 TZS 2,409

-57.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 TZS 961

$0.30 TZS 781

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 TZS 2,021

$1.05 TZS 2,752

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 TZS 7,519

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 TZS 1,535

$0.96 TZS 2,519

-38.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 TZS 2,507

$0.67 TZS 1,767

43.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 TZS 2,395

$1.66 TZS 4,346

-45.18%

Eggs

$2.32 TZS 6,085

$1.74 TZS 4,560

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 TZS 10.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 TZS 9,662

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.32 TZS 8,699

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 TZS 3,039

$2.25 TZS 5,883

-48.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.74 TZS 1,938

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 TZS 2,511

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 TZS 1,991

$0.79 TZS 2,075

-3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 TZS 2,381

$0.46 TZS 1,195

97.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 TZS 1,868

$1.02 TZS 2,676

-30.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 TZS 1,423

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 TZS 2,048

$0.83 TZS 2,184

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.10 TZS 2,871

$1.50 TZS 3,919

-26.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.84 TZS 10.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 TZS 1,875

$0.96 TZS 2,515

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 TZS 2,887

$0.97 TZS 2,529

13.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 TZS 966

$0.19 TZS 498

94.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 TZS 3,033

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 TZS 4,857

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 TZS 6,829

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

-65.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 TZS 3,124

$1.30 TZS 3,415

-8.46%

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

$24.44 TZS 64.0K

$28.47 TZS 74.6K

-14.16%

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

$18.75 TZS 49.1K

$8.27 TZS 21.7K

126.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.65 TZS 119.6K

$48.04 TZS 125.8K

-4.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 TZS 97.6K

$63.9 TZS 167.2K

-41.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 TZS 24.1K

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

96.79%

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

$191 TZS 501.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,138 TZS 3.0M

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

-85.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.46 TZS 30.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.28 TZS 24.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.13 TZS 50.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.85 TZS 70.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$112 TZS 293.1K

$281 TZS 735.1K

-60.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.4 TZS 200.1K

$234 TZS 611.6K

-67.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$188 TZS 493.0K

$495 TZS 1.3M

-61.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 TZS 296.6K

$522 TZS 1.4M

-78.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 TZS 497.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Mbeya: October 26, 2026

Last update for Arusha: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbeya

$115 27%

Arusha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbeya

$89 20.8%

Arusha

–

Accommodation & Living

Mbeya

$76 17.9%

Arusha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mbeya

$56 13%

Arusha

–

Eating Out

Mbeya

$49 * 11.4%

Arusha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mbeya

$30 7%

Arusha

–

Getting Around

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8%

Arusha

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $112 in Mbeya versus $281 in Arusha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Mbeya versus $27 in Arusha. Groceries tell a different story – $115 in Mbeya vs $65 in Arusha – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🇹🇿 Arusha

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

Same time as Mbeya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

541,603

617,631

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mbeya Arusha 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mbeya
Arusha

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

Mbeya vs Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $427 in Mbeya, $546 in Arusha – Mbeya comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $640 per month in Mbeya and $820 in Arusha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $112 there versus $281 in Arusha.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Mbeya and $27 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 $427 in Mbeya and $546 in Arusha. That makes Mbeya about 22% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $427 in Mbeya and $546 in Arusha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Arusha has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $427 in Mbeya to $546 in Arusha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.