Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $702 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

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

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $702 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Dar es Salaam $702

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,108 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Dar es Salaam $1,108

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,514 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Dar es Salaam $1,514

Phuket costs about 82% more than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Dar es Salaam are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Dar es Salaam 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.87 TZS 4,890

139.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

72.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

14.12%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.01 TZS 5,272

40.80%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.37 TZS 981

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.22 TZS 577

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$0.93 TZS 2,431

175.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.87 TZS 4,905

96.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.82 TZS 2,157

102.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.62 TZS 1,622

135.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.09 TZS 2,865

37.61%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.85 TZS 4,845

12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$9.16 TZS 24.0K

108.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.72 TZS 12.4K

-30.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

172.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.47 TZS 6,481

18.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.07 TZS 2,800

57.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.03 TZS 2,694

118.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.89 TZS 2,324

133.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.93 TZS 2,442

62.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.99 TZS 2,593

39.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.83 TZS 2,173

28.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.39 TZS 1,011

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.14 TZS 5,605

96.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

158.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.91 TZS 2,395

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.54 TZS 4,020

84.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.26 TZS 681

457.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$14.54 TZS 38.1K

289.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.66 TZS 4,355

81.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.52 TZS 3,992

-32.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$13.17 TZS 34.5K

-71.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.36 TZS 3,561

8.09%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

62.36%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$26.4K TZS 69.1M

1.23%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$55.6 TZS 145.7K

73.23%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.20 TZS 24.1K

22.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$33.86 TZS 88.7K

-50.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$83.9 TZS 219.8K

-19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$9.73 TZS 25.5K

10.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

50.91%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$559 TZS 1.5M

-14.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$13.0K TZS 34.2M

-13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$15.31 TZS 40.1K

307.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$25.76 TZS 67.5K

10.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$44.36 TZS 116.2K

112.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

46.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$565 TZS 1.5M

26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$195 TZS 510.0K

152.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

43.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$433 TZS 1.1M

230.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

170.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,053 TZS 2.8M

189.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$285 TZS 746.4K

76.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.25

-69.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8% 60.3% $296

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6% 43.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1% 20.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3% 46.8% $57

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4% 40% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4% 14.2% $12

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5% 64.8% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $565 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 76% higher in Phuket, 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 $32 in Phuket versus $19 in Dar es Salaam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $152 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

09:14 9:14 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,916 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Dar es Salaam 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

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

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,052 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $565 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $559 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 76% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dar es Salaam, where all-in costs run around $702, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $702 in Dar es Salaam to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Dar es Salaam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.