Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Njombe and Zanzibar

For one person, living is cheaper in Njombe: $334 a month against $581 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index

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Njombe

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$334

/mo nomad

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Njombe 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 Njombe and in Zanzibar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $334 in Njombe versus $581 in Zanzibar.

Njombe $334
Zanzibar $581

Estimated couple costs with rent: $512 in Njombe versus $866 in Zanzibar.

Njombe $512
Zanzibar $866

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $690 in Njombe versus $1,151 in Zanzibar.

Njombe $690
Zanzibar $1,151

Living in Njombe costs roughly 42% less than in Zanzibar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Njombe 75% lower, Zanzibar 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 TZS 12.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.44 TZS 56.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 TZS 14.4K

Cappuccino

$2.15 TZS 5,632

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

$0.60 TZS 1,560

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 TZS 807

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 TZS 5,005

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 TZS 6,900

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 TZS 2,570

$2.05 TZS 5,377

-52.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 TZS 1,449

$0.73 TZS 1,900

-24.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,578

$0.83 TZS 2,181

18.07%

Eggs

$1.32 TZS 3,463

$2.70 TZS 7,065

-51.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 TZS 20.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 TZS 9,790

$2.30 TZS 6,016

62.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.95 TZS 7,730

$6.14 TZS 16.1K

-51.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 TZS 3,925

$2.83 TZS 7,401

-47.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 TZS 4,558

$1.12 TZS 2,936

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 TZS 4,809

$0.72 TZS 1,898

155.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 TZS 5,339

$0.60 TZS 1,564

240.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 TZS 3,548

$0.93 TZS 2,434

45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 TZS 6,370

$1.54 TZS 4,030

57.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 TZS 1,038

$0.74 TZS 1,935

-45.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 TZS 952

$0.45 TZS 1,172

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.65 TZS 4,332

$2.15 TZS 5,643

-23.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$1.87 TZS 4,897

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

-80.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 TZS 3,404

$1.49 TZS 3,893

-12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 TZS 5,593

$1.31 TZS 3,433

63.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 TZS 736

$0.29 TZS 749

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.31 TZS 50.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 TZS 4,039

$3.78 TZS 9,895

-59.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 TZS 3,059

$0.72 TZS 1,897

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 TZS 14.4K

$2.58 TZS 6,768

113.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 TZS 3,183

$1.23 TZS 3,210

-0.81%

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

$18.1K TZS 47.4M

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

$11.2K TZS 29.4M

$48.9K TZS 128.0M

-77.04%

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

$20.74 TZS 54.3K

$75.4 TZS 197.5K

-72.49%

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

$14.89 TZS 39.0K

$11.30 TZS 29.6K

31.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 TZS 146.2K

$49.16 TZS 128.7K

13.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.47 TZS 58.8K

$29.18 TZS 76.4K

-23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 TZS 19.6K

Cinema Ticket

$3.82 TZS 9,995

$9.68 TZS 25.3K

-60.54%

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

$321 TZS 841.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.98 TZS 39.2K

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.71 TZS 54.2K

$17.26 TZS 45.2K

19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$16.90 TZS 44.2K

$15.13 TZS 39.6K

11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.90 TZS 39.0K

$13.42 TZS 35.2K

11.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$113 TZS 294.9K

$153 TZS 400.6K

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$37.69 TZS 98.7K

$98.7 TZS 258.5K

-61.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$188 TZS 492.5K

$198 TZS 519.2K

-5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 TZS 301.3K

$150 TZS 392.7K

-23.26%

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)

$256 TZS 671.7K

$312 TZS 818.4K

-17.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.00%

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

Last update for Njombe: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zanzibar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Njombe

–

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Njombe

–

Zanzibar

$136 23.4%

Accommodation & Living

Njombe

–

Zanzibar

$99 17%

Eating Out

Njombe

–

Zanzibar

$98 16.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Njombe

–

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Njombe

–

Zanzibar

$26 4.6%

Getting Around

Njombe

–

Zanzibar

$8.5 * 1.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $113 in Njombe and $153 in Zanzibar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zanzibar pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Njombe

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

Same time as Njombe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,537

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

Njombe Zanzibar 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Njombe
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

Njombe vs Zanzibar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Njombe and Zanzibar differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($334 vs $581 including rent). Njombe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Zanzibar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $113 in Njombe versus $153 in Zanzibar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Zanzibar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $334 per month in Njombe versus $581 in Zanzibar – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Njombe gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Njombe and Zanzibar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Njombe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Zanzibar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.