Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Tanzania Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Tanzania

Name: Tanzania
Address: TZ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $237 in Tanzania, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $375 in Tanzania, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $512 in Tanzania, rent included.

South Africa costs about 330% more than Tanzania on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Tanzania are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Tanzania 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$2.75 TZS 7,104

229.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$19.66 TZS 50.7K

100.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$7.56 TZS 19.5K

-34.66%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$1.91 TZS 4,914

7.85%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.37 TZS 965

156.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.25 TZS 646

224.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.12 TZS 2,897

97.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$1.91 TZS 4,916

29.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$0.90 TZS 2,333

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.80 TZS 2,062

27.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.06 TZS 2,740

47.17%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.10 TZS 5,426

11.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$8.92 TZS 23.0K

-13.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$5.06 TZS 13.1K

-11.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$4.13 TZS 10.7K

62.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$2.35 TZS 6,054

-33.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$0.96 TZS 2,468

48.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$1.02 TZS 2,637

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$1.02 TZS 2,643

48.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$0.91 TZS 2,359

34.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.37 TZS 3,541

-6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.66 TZS 1,708

57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.45 TZS 1,171

108.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.94 TZS 5,009

54.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$5.61 TZS 14.5K

-8.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$0.98 TZS 2,516

41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.59 TZS 4,091

4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.29 TZS 750

462.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$17.52 TZS 45.2K

157.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$1.43 TZS 3,693

-20.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$1.57 TZS 4,054

-29.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$13.73 TZS 35.4K

-64.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.22 TZS 3,134

1.64%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$16.9K TZS 43.7M

20.05%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$16.1K TZS 41.4M

46.20%

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

$113 R 1,843

$63.9 TZS 164.8K

77.46%

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

$32.36 R 526

$10.62 TZS 27.4K

204.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$37.25 TZS 96.1K

11.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$60.2 TZS 155.3K

-47.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$6.47 TZS 16.7K

48.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$4.62 TZS 11.9K

47.84%

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

$187 R 3,039

$287 TZS 741.4K

-34.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$9,196 TZS 23.7M

-52.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$16.37 TZS 42.2K

202.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$24.06 TZS 62.1K

26.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$29.89 TZS 77.1K

206.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$51.2 TZS 132.0K

54.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$400 TZS 1.0M

10.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$174 TZS 449.8K

110.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$742 TZS 1.9M

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$359 TZS 925.0K

101.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,546 TZS 4.0M

-29.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$1,100 TZS 2.8M

-29.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$247 TZS 636.0K

531.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

14.6

-20.89%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tanzania: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $236 in Tanzania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 475% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 289% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 433% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 544% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

South Africa vs Tanzania: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanzania is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 154% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Tanzania, contributing to the overall 154% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Tanzania, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Tanzania is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.