Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbeya and Zanzibar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $427 a month against $581 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
Learn more

Zanzibar Living Index

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Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$427

/mo nomad

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mbeya and in Zanzibar

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 Zanzibar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $427 per month in Mbeya vs $581 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Mbeya $427
Zanzibar $581

A couple spends around $660 per month in Mbeya vs $866 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Mbeya $660
Zanzibar $866

A family of three spends $892 per month in Mbeya vs $1,151 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Mbeya $892
Zanzibar $1,151

Mbeya is about 26% cheaper than Zanzibar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mbeya and Zanzibar are more affordable than the global median – Mbeya 68% lower, Zanzibar 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 TZS 12.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.70 TZS 59.4K

$21.44 TZS 56.1K

5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 TZS 20.1K

$5.52 TZS 14.4K

39.31%

Cappuccino

$1.55 TZS 4,048

$2.15 TZS 5,632

-27.91%

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

$0.36 TZS 949

$0.60 TZS 1,560

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 TZS 948

$0.31 TZS 807

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 TZS 2,053

$1.91 TZS 5,005

-59.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 TZS 6,900

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 TZS 1,446

$2.05 TZS 5,377

-73.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 TZS 2,413

$0.73 TZS 1,900

26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,414

$0.83 TZS 2,181

10.84%

Eggs

$2.24 TZS 5,874

$2.70 TZS 7,065

-17.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 TZS 10.2K

$7.62 TZS 20.0K

-48.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 TZS 9,686

$2.30 TZS 6,016

60.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.39 TZS 8,874

$6.14 TZS 16.1K

-44.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 TZS 3,069

$2.83 TZS 7,401

-58.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,956

$1.12 TZS 2,936

-33.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,409

$0.72 TZS 1,898

27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 TZS 2,083

$0.60 TZS 1,564

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,571

$0.93 TZS 2,434

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,963

$1.54 TZS 4,030

-51.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 TZS 1,461

$0.74 TZS 1,935

-24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 TZS 2,027

$0.45 TZS 1,172

71.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.16 TZS 3,037

$2.15 TZS 5,643

-46.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.88 TZS 10.2K

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

-58.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 TZS 2,039

$1.49 TZS 3,893

-47.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 TZS 3,050

$1.31 TZS 3,433

-11.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 TZS 946

$0.29 TZS 749

24.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 TZS 2,909

$3.78 TZS 9,895

-70.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 TZS 4,858

$0.72 TZS 1,897

156.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 TZS 6,877

$2.58 TZS 6,768

1.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 TZS 3,113

$1.23 TZS 3,210

-3.25%

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

$48.9K TZS 128.0M

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

$24.53 TZS 64.2K

$75.4 TZS 197.5K

-67.47%

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

$18.82 TZS 49.3K

$11.30 TZS 29.6K

66.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.86 TZS 120.1K

$49.16 TZS 128.7K

-6.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.53 TZS 100.9K

$29.18 TZS 76.4K

32.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 TZS 25.2K

$9.68 TZS 25.3K

-0.62%

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

$189 TZS 495.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,132 TZS 3.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.28 TZS 29.5K

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

-13.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.33 TZS 24.4K

$17.26 TZS 45.2K

-45.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$18.72 TZS 49.0K

$15.13 TZS 39.6K

23.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.44 TZS 69.3K

$13.42 TZS 35.2K

97.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 TZS 298.0K

$153 TZS 400.6K

-25.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 TZS 195.5K

$98.7 TZS 258.5K

-24.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$188 TZS 493.6K

$198 TZS 519.2K

-4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 TZS 295.1K

$150 TZS 392.7K

-24.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.7K TZS 98.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K TZS 29.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 TZS 496.4K

$312 TZS 818.4K

-39.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

30.00%

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

Last update for Mbeya: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zanzibar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbeya

$116 27.1%

Zanzibar

$164 28.3% 42.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbeya

$89 20.9%

Zanzibar

$136 23.4% 52.3% $47

Accommodation & Living

Mbeya

$75 17.5%

Zanzibar

$99 17% 32.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mbeya

$58 13.5%

Zanzibar

$49 8.4% 16% $9.2

Eating Out

Mbeya

$48 * 11.3%

Zanzibar

$98 16.9% 103% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Mbeya

$30 6.9%

Zanzibar

$26 4.6% 10.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8%

Zanzibar

$8.5 * 1.5% 27.8% $3.3

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 $153 in Zanzibar. 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 65% higher in Zanzibar, 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 $21.00 in Zanzibar. Groceries tell a different story – $116 in Mbeya vs $164 in Zanzibar – so Mbeya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Mbeya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

541,603

709,809

💱 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 Zanzibar 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mbeya
Zanzibar

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 Zanzibar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zanzibar is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $641 per month in Mbeya and $871 in Zanzibar. 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.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Zanzibar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Mbeya and $21.00 in Zanzibar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $427 in Mbeya and $581 in Zanzibar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Zanzibar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.