Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $582 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$582

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Athens

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 Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $582 in Zanzibar versus $1,779 in Athens.

Zanzibar $582
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $866 in Zanzibar versus $2,721 in Athens.

Zanzibar $866
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,150 in Zanzibar versus $3,663 in Athens.

Zanzibar $1,150
Athens $3,663

Living in Zanzibar costs roughly 67% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zanzibar is 57% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 TZS 12.2K

$16.83 €14.99

-72.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.37 TZS 56.2K

$66.0 €58.8

-67.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 TZS 15.3K

$11.21 €9.98

-48.17%

Cappuccino

$2.23 TZS 5,870

$4.08 €3.64

-45.34%

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

$0.62 TZS 1,639

$2.77 €2.47

-77.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TZS 873

$0.54 €0.48

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 TZS 4,857

$5.70 €5.07

-67.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 TZS 7,074

$6.26 €5.58

-57.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 TZS 5,333

$1.84 €1.64

10.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 TZS 2,021

$1.43 €1.27

-46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,069

$2.67 €2.38

-70.41%

Eggs

$2.79 TZS 7,347

$4.95 €4.41

-43.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 TZS 19.7K

$15.09 €13.44

-50.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.30 TZS 6,054

$10.99 €9.79

-79.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 TZS 16.4K

$19.77 €17.60

-68.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 TZS 7,312

$2.12 €1.89

31.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 TZS 3,059

$1.98 €1.76

-41.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,962

$1.33 €1.18

-43.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 TZS 1,546

$2.16 €1.92

-72.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 TZS 2,471

$1.06 €0.94

-11.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 TZS 3,870

$1.15 €1.02

27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 TZS 1,921

$1.08 €0.96

-32.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 TZS 1,175

$0.85 €0.75

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 TZS 5,692

$5.46 €4.86

-60.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 TZS 24.7K

$10.03 €8.93

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 TZS 4,021

$2.04 €1.82

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 TZS 3,428

$2.38 €2.12

-45.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 824

$1.35 €1.20

-77.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 TZS 9,992

$3.81 €3.39

-0.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 TZS 1,941

$1.03 €0.92

-28.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 TZS 7,108

$16.49 €14.68

-83.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 TZS 3,330

$2.34 €2.09

-45.73%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$50.3K TZS 132.4M

$26.6K €23.7K

89.24%

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

$73.0 TZS 191.8K

$202 €180

-63.93%

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

$11.14 TZS 29.3K

$26.81 €23.87

-58.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 TZS 129.1K

$30.49 €27.14

61.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.01 TZS 76.3K

$54.1 €48.14

-46.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 TZS 25.4K

$10.44 €9.30

-7.47%

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

$568 €505

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.86 TZS 33.8K

$90.7 €80.7

-85.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.32 TZS 45.5K

$39.32 €35.01

-55.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.28 TZS 40.2K

$105 €93.7

-85.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.18 TZS 34.6K

$129 €115

-89.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$151 TZS 397.1K

$742 €661

-79.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 TZS 265.0K

$648 €577

-84.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 TZS 518.0K

$1,271 €1,132

-84.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 TZS 387.1K

$1,122 €999

-86.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$38.2K TZS 100.4M

$3,999 €3,561

854.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K TZS 29.6M

$3,281 €2,921

243.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$314 TZS 824.4K

$1,245 €1,109

-74.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

125.23%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: November 1, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$165 28.3%

Athens

$316 17.8% 91.9% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$133 22.9%

Athens

$260 14.6% 94.8% $126

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$101 17.3%

Athens

$648 36.4% 543% $548

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Athens

$272 15.3% 172% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$48 8.3%

Athens

$75 4.2% 55.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Athens

$164 9.2% 521% $137

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.8 * 1.5%

Athens

$45 2.5% 413% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $151 in Zanzibar and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $21 in Zanzibar vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $316 per month, with Zanzibar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

1 h behind Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.39 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2,629 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.8 USD). 1 EUR = 2,951 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.39 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zanzibar Athens 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zanzibar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Zanzibar. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $151 in Zanzibar versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $582 per month in Zanzibar versus $1,779 in Athens – Zanzibar is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $582 in Zanzibar versus $1,779 in Athens, a $800 budget is realistic in Zanzibar but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Zanzibar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Zanzibar wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.