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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Tanzania is roughly 77% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 TZS 7,104

$9.05 R 147

-69.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.66 TZS 50.7K

$39.48 R 642

-50.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 TZS 19.5K

$4.94 R 80.3

53.04%

Cappuccino

$1.91 TZS 4,914

$2.06 R 33.47

-7.28%

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

$0.37 TZS 965

$0.95 R 15.40

-61.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 TZS 646

$0.81 R 13.13

-69.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 TZS 2,897

$2.21 R 35.90

-49.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 TZS 4,916

$2.48 R 40.33

-22.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 TZS 2,333

$1.11 R 18.07

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 TZS 2,062

$1.02 R 16.64

-21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 TZS 2,740

$1.56 R 25.28

-32.05%

Eggs

$2.10 TZS 5,426

$2.34 R 38.05

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 TZS 23.0K

$7.73 R 126

15.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 TZS 13.1K

$4.49 R 73.1

12.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.13 TZS 10.7K

$6.73 R 109

-38.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 TZS 6,054

$1.56 R 25.40

50.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 TZS 2,468

$1.43 R 23.22

-32.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,637

$1.44 R 23.48

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 TZS 2,643

$1.51 R 24.55

-32.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 TZS 2,359

$1.22 R 19.81

-25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 TZS 3,541

$1.28 R 20.74

7.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 TZS 1,708

$1.04 R 16.89

-36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 TZS 1,171

$0.94 R 15.21

-52.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 TZS 5,009

$2.99 R 48.55

-35.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 TZS 14.5K

$5.16 R 83.8

8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 TZS 2,516

$1.39 R 22.55

-29.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 TZS 4,091

$1.66 R 26.93

-4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 TZS 750

$1.63 R 26.48

-82.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.52 TZS 45.2K

$45.05 R 732

-61.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 TZS 3,693

$1.13 R 18.41

26.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 TZS 4,054

$1.10 R 17.93

42.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.73 TZS 35.4K

$4.86 R 78.9

182.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 TZS 3,134

$1.24 R 20.15

-1.61%

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

$16.9K TZS 43.7M

$20.3K R 330.2K

-16.70%

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

$16.1K TZS 41.4M

$23.5K R 381.4K

-31.60%

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

$63.9 TZS 164.8K

$113 R 1,843

-43.65%

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

$10.62 TZS 27.4K

$32.36 R 526

-67.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.25 TZS 96.1K

$41.45 R 674

-10.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 TZS 155.3K

$31.59 R 513

90.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.47 TZS 16.7K

$9.61 R 156

-32.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 TZS 11.9K

$6.83 R 111

-32.36%

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

$287 TZS 741.4K

$187 R 3,039

53.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,196 TZS 23.7M

$4,362 R 70.9K

110.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.37 TZS 42.2K

$49.50 R 804

-66.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.06 TZS 62.1K

$30.42 R 494

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.89 TZS 77.1K

$91.7 R 1,489

-67.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.2 TZS 132.0K

$78.9 R 1,281

-35.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 TZS 1.0M

$442 R 7,175

-9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 TZS 449.8K

$367 R 5,963

-52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 TZS 1.9M

$884 R 14.4K

-16.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 TZS 925.0K

$723 R 11.8K

-50.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,546 TZS 4.0M

$1,090 R 17.7K

41.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,100 TZS 2.8M

$780 R 12.7K

41.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 TZS 636.0K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-84.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.6

11.55

26.41%

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

Last update for Tanzania: May 31, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $236 in Tanzania vs $1,520 in South Africa. 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

Tanzania vs South Africa: 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.