Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbeya and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $427 a month against $707 in Dar es Salaam, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index
34

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

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Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$427

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $427 per month in Mbeya vs $707 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Mbeya $427
Dar es Salaam $707

A couple spends around $660 per month in Mbeya vs $1,121 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Mbeya $660
Dar es Salaam $1,121

A family of three spends $892 per month in Mbeya vs $1,535 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Mbeya $892
Dar es Salaam $1,535

Mbeya is about 40% cheaper than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Mbeya and Dar es Salaam are more affordable than the global median – Mbeya 68% lower, Dar es Salaam 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 TZS 5,066

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.70 TZS 59.4K

$19.16 TZS 50.2K

18.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 TZS 20.1K

$7.60 TZS 19.9K

1.18%

Cappuccino

$1.55 TZS 4,048

$2.02 TZS 5,285

-23.27%

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

$0.36 TZS 949

$0.37 TZS 975

-2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 TZS 948

$0.22 TZS 577

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 TZS 2,053

$0.94 TZS 2,452

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 TZS 5,091

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 TZS 1,446

$0.81 TZS 2,121

-32.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 TZS 2,413

$0.62 TZS 1,616

48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,414

$1.09 TZS 2,861

-15.60%

Eggs

$2.24 TZS 5,874

$2.04 TZS 5,343

9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 TZS 10.2K

$9.31 TZS 24.4K

-58.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 TZS 9,686

$4.77 TZS 12.5K

-22.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.39 TZS 8,874

$3.98 TZS 10.4K

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 TZS 3,069

$2.50 TZS 6,544

-53.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,956

$1.07 TZS 2,801

-29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,409

$1.04 TZS 2,724

-11.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 TZS 2,083

$0.92 TZS 2,418

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,571

$0.95 TZS 2,491

3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,963

$1.03 TZS 2,702

-27.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 TZS 1,461

$0.81 TZS 2,114

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 TZS 2,027

$0.38 TZS 1,002

102.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.16 TZS 3,037

$2.09 TZS 5,477

-44.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.88 TZS 10.2K

$7.04 TZS 18.4K

-44.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 TZS 2,039

$0.87 TZS 2,272

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 TZS 3,050

$1.58 TZS 4,138

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 TZS 946

$0.26 TZS 681

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.62 TZS 38.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 TZS 2,909

$1.61 TZS 4,227

-31.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 TZS 4,858

$1.49 TZS 3,907

24.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 TZS 6,877

$13.34 TZS 34.9K

-80.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 TZS 3,113

$1.42 TZS 3,727

-16.20%

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

$17.1K TZS 44.8M

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

$26.4K TZS 69.2M

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

$24.53 TZS 64.2K

$56.9 TZS 149.1K

-56.90%

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

$18.82 TZS 49.3K

$9.17 TZS 24.0K

105.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.86 TZS 120.1K

$33.48 TZS 87.7K

36.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.53 TZS 100.9K

$85.9 TZS 224.9K

-55.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 TZS 26.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 TZS 25.2K

$5.05 TZS 13.2K

90.50%

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

$189 TZS 495.2K

$565 TZS 1.5M

-66.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,132 TZS 3.0M

$13.1K TZS 34.3M

-91.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.28 TZS 29.5K

$15.27 TZS 40.0K

-26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.33 TZS 24.4K

$25.42 TZS 66.6K

-63.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$18.72 TZS 49.0K

$44.19 TZS 115.7K

-57.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.44 TZS 69.3K

$59.5 TZS 155.7K

-55.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 TZS 298.0K

$572 TZS 1.5M

-80.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 TZS 195.5K

$196 TZS 513.6K

-61.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$188 TZS 493.6K

$1,312 TZS 3.4M

-85.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 TZS 295.1K

$442 TZS 1.2M

-74.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 TZS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 TZS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 TZS 496.4K

$276 TZS 722.7K

-31.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

-28.77%

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

Last update for Mbeya: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Mbeya

$116 27.1%

Dar es Salaam

$153 21.6% 31.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbeya

$89 20.9%

Dar es Salaam

$100 14.1% 11.6% $10

Accommodation & Living

Mbeya

$75 17.5%

Dar es Salaam

$196 27.7% 163% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Mbeya

$58 13.5%

Dar es Salaam

$96 13.6% 66.1% $38

Eating Out

Mbeya

$48 * 11.3%

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4% 51.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Mbeya

$30 6.9%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.2% 120% $35

Getting Around

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5% 109% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $114 in Mbeya 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 46% higher in Dar es Salaam, 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 $23.00 in Mbeya versus $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. Groceries tell a different story – $116 in Mbeya vs $153 in Dar es Salaam – so Mbeya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

Same time as Mbeya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

541,603

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mbeya Dar es Salaam 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mbeya
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

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

Yes – Dar es Salaam is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $641 per month in Mbeya 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 Mbeya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Mbeya and $19.00 in Dar es Salaam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Dar es Salaam, 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 Mbeya, where all-in costs run around $427, than in Dar es Salaam at $707. In Mbeya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dar es Salaam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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