Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $577 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
Learn more

Zanzibar Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$577

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $577 per month in Zanzibar vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Zanzibar $577
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $857 per month in Zanzibar vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Zanzibar $857
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,137 per month in Zanzibar vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,137
Cape Town $3,307

Zanzibar is about 63% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Zanzibar sits 57% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.78 TZS 12.5K

$11.78 R 194

-59.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.74 TZS 57.0K

$46.55 R 768

-53.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 TZS 14.5K

$5.96 R 98.4

-7.05%

Cappuccino

$2.21 TZS 5,810

$2.47 R 40.80

-10.53%

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

$0.60 TZS 1,568

$1.33 R 21.91

-54.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TZS 874

$1.03 R 16.99

-67.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 TZS 4,999

$3.01 R 49.72

-36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 TZS 7,135

$3.66 R 60.4

-25.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 TZS 5,357

$1.39 R 22.96

46.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 TZS 1,902

$1.19 R 19.60

-39.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 TZS 2,185

$2.11 R 34.84

-60.66%

Eggs

$2.68 TZS 7,044

$3.01 R 49.58

-10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 TZS 19.8K

$8.96 R 148

-15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,803

$6.65 R 110

-66.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 TZS 16.1K

$9.29 R 153

-34.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 TZS 7,493

$1.83 R 30.13

56.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 TZS 2,918

$1.90 R 31.31

-41.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,967

$1.75 R 28.83

-57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 TZS 1,556

$2.09 R 34.41

-71.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,581

$1.55 R 25.64

-36.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 TZS 3,871

$1.49 R 24.53

-0.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 TZS 1,960

$1.30 R 21.41

-42.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,283

$1.16 R 19.19

-57.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 TZS 5,403

$3.71 R 61.2

-44.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 TZS 24.4K

$6.06 R 100

53.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,043

$1.39 R 22.85

10.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TZS 3,428

$2.20 R 36.32

-40.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 817

$1.51 R 24.98

-79.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 TZS 9,701

$0.63 R 10.33

487.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 TZS 2,073

$1.53 R 25.29

-48.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 TZS 6,862

$4.81 R 79.4

-45.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 TZS 3,339

$1.58 R 26.08

-19.62%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$48.8K TZS 128.0M

$31.7K R 523.8K

53.69%

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

$73.3 TZS 192.4K

$116 R 1,920

-37.00%

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

$11.35 TZS 29.8K

$28.37 R 468

-59.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.97 TZS 131.1K

$40.69 R 671

22.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.66 TZS 77.8K

$48.85 R 806

-39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 TZS 25.5K

$8.83 R 146

9.97%

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.93 TZS 33.9K

$55.4 R 914

-76.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.28 TZS 45.3K

$32.27 R 532

-46.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.25 TZS 40.0K

$118 R 1,939

-87.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.08 TZS 34.3K

$107 R 1,766

-87.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$149 TZS 389.9K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-85.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 TZS 259.8K

$715 R 11.8K

-86.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 TZS 528.4K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-88.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 393.4K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-88.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.6K TZS 98.6M

$2,331 R 38.5K

1512.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

$1,513 R 25.0K

657.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 TZS 820.4K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-80.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

-8.84%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.2%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 35.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$135 23.1%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 37.7% $51

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Cape Town

$174 11% 73.5% $74

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$99 17%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 623% $616

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 35.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 433% $114

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 747% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $149 in Zanzibar versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 423% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Zanzibar versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $222 – making Zanzibar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

12:22 12:22 PM

1 h behind Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2,624 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD). 1 EUR = 2,940 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Cape Town 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 172% more than Zanzibar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $865 per month in Zanzibar and $2,352 in Cape Town. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $577 in Zanzibar and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 172%.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanzibar, where all-in costs run around $577, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Zanzibar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zanzibar costs $577 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Zanzibar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.