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 $239 in Tanzania, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $377 in Tanzania, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $515 in Tanzania, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 327% higher than in 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

$9.14 R 151

$2.79 TZS 7,321

227.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$19.26 TZS 50.5K

103.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$7.82 TZS 20.5K

-33.63%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$1.89 TZS 4,964

4.76%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.37 TZS 984

170.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.23 TZS 599

243.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$1.17 TZS 3,066

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$1.95 TZS 5,113

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$0.95 TZS 2,499

17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.77 TZS 2,017

25.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.01 TZS 2,649

52.48%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.03 TZS 5,337

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$9.14 TZS 24.0K

-14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$5.21 TZS 13.7K

-12.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$4.12 TZS 10.8K

62.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$2.35 TZS 6,177

-33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$0.88 TZS 2,320

67.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$1.02 TZS 2,674

49.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.94 TZS 2,472

60.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$0.92 TZS 2,420

36.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.38 TZS 3,632

-7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.66 TZS 1,737

65.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.46 TZS 1,196

110.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.99 TZS 5,215

42.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$5.60 TZS 14.7K

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$0.96 TZS 2,523

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$1.50 TZS 3,947

14.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.27 TZS 708

537.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$17.70 TZS 46.5K

149.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$1.44 TZS 3,768

-20.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$1.56 TZS 4,105

-31.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$13.55 TZS 35.6K

-65.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.18 TZS 3,096

8.47%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$17.3K TZS 45.4M

17.80%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$15.7K TZS 41.2M

52.65%

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

$113 R 1,869

$65.6 TZS 172.0K

72.23%

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

$32.35 R 536

$10.99 TZS 28.8K

194.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$37.41 TZS 98.2K

10.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$60.7 TZS 159.3K

-48.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$6.25 TZS 16.4K

55.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$4.76 TZS 12.5K

40.13%

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

$186 R 3,072

$287 TZS 752.2K

-35.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$9,081 TZS 23.8M

-51.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$16.70 TZS 43.8K

200.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$24.04 TZS 63.1K

26.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$30.33 TZS 79.6K

207.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$52.7 TZS 138.3K

52.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$396 TZS 1.0M

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$171 TZS 448.0K

117.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$758 TZS 2.0M

19.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$358 TZS 938.9K

97.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$1,523 TZS 4.0M

-26.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$1,135 TZS 3.0M

-30.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$243 TZS 638.9K

518.48%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tanzania: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $232 in Tanzania. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 466% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 289% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 433% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 552% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 148% 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 148% 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.