Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Arusha

For one person, living is cheaper in Arusha: $546 a month against $581 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Zanzibar despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Arusha

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Arusha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zanzibar and in Arusha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $581 per month in Zanzibar vs $546 in Arusha, rent included.

Zanzibar $581
Arusha $546

A couple spends around $865 per month in Zanzibar vs $882 in Arusha, rent included.

Zanzibar $865
Arusha $882

A family of three spends $1,150 per month in Zanzibar vs $1,218 in Arusha, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,150
Arusha $1,218

Zanzibar costs about 6% more than Arusha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zanzibar and Arusha are more affordable than the global median – Zanzibar 57% lower, Arusha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 TZS 12.1K

$3.32 TZS 8,701

39.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.81 TZS 57.1K

$27.18 TZS 71.2K

-19.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 TZS 14.5K

$8.89 TZS 23.3K

-37.57%

Cappuccino

$2.11 TZS 5,519

$1.64 TZS 4,303

28.66%

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

$0.58 TZS 1,532

$0.92 TZS 2,409

-36.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 TZS 804

$0.30 TZS 781

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 TZS 4,875

$1.05 TZS 2,752

77.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 TZS 6,869

$2.87 TZS 7,519

-8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 TZS 5,510

$0.96 TZS 2,519

118.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 TZS 1,991

$0.67 TZS 1,767

13.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 TZS 2,106

$1.66 TZS 4,346

-51.81%

Eggs

$2.67 TZS 6,996

$1.74 TZS 4,560

53.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 TZS 19.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.22 TZS 5,821

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 TZS 15.5K

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 TZS 7,243

$2.25 TZS 5,883

23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 TZS 2,910

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 TZS 1,926

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 TZS 1,436

$0.79 TZS 2,075

-30.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 TZS 2,607

$0.46 TZS 1,195

117.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 TZS 4,017

$1.02 TZS 2,676

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 TZS 2,088

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,279

$0.83 TZS 2,184

-40.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 TZS 5,616

$1.50 TZS 3,919

42.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 TZS 4,018

$0.96 TZS 2,515

59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 TZS 3,365

$0.97 TZS 2,529

31.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 824

$0.19 TZS 498

63.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 TZS 9,745

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 TZS 2,047

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 TZS 7,096

$7.57 TZS 19.8K

-64.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 TZS 3,282

$1.30 TZS 3,415

-3.85%

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

$50.5K TZS 132.1M

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

$74.8 TZS 195.9K

$28.47 TZS 74.6K

162.77%

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

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

$8.27 TZS 21.7K

36.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 TZS 131.2K

$48.04 TZS 125.8K

4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 TZS 78.2K

$63.9 TZS 167.2K

-53.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 TZS 24.9K

$4.67 TZS 12.2K

103.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,612 TZS 19.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.91 TZS 33.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.77 TZS 43.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.19 TZS 39.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.00 TZS 34.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 TZS 399.2K

$281 TZS 735.1K

-45.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 TZS 262.1K

$234 TZS 611.6K

-57.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 TZS 527.8K

$495 TZS 1.3M

-59.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 393.6K

$522 TZS 1.4M

-71.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.9K TZS 99.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.2K TZS 29.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$320 TZS 839.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Arusha: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.2%

Arusha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$136 23.4%

Arusha

–

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Arusha

–

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$97 16.7%

Arusha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Arusha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Arusha

–

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5%

Arusha

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $152 in Zanzibar versus $281 in Arusha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Zanzibar versus $27 in Arusha. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Zanzibar vs $65 in Arusha – so Arusha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Arusha

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

Same time as Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

617,631

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Zanzibar vs Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $581 in Zanzibar, $546 in Arusha – Arusha comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $871 per month in Zanzibar and $820 in Arusha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zanzibar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $152 there versus $281 in Arusha.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Zanzibar and $27 in Arusha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $581 in Zanzibar and $546 in Arusha. That makes Arusha about 6% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $581 in Zanzibar and $546 in Arusha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Zanzibar has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Arusha to $581 in Zanzibar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.