Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $577 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$577

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $577 in Zanzibar versus $934 in Cebu.

Zanzibar $577
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $857 in Zanzibar versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Zanzibar $857
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,137 in Zanzibar versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Zanzibar $1,137
Cebu $1,896

Living in Zanzibar costs roughly 38% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zanzibar 57% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.78 TZS 12.5K

$3.03 ₱190

57.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.74 TZS 57.0K

$23.48 ₱1,473

-7.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 TZS 14.5K

$4.09 ₱256

35.45%

Cappuccino

$2.21 TZS 5,810

$2.52 ₱158

-12.30%

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

$0.60 TZS 1,568

$1.54 ₱96.9

-61.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TZS 874

$0.49 ₱30.98

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 TZS 4,999

$1.79 ₱112

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 TZS 7,135

$2.26 ₱142

20.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 TZS 5,357

$1.95 ₱122

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 TZS 1,902

$1.43 ₱89.7

-49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 TZS 2,185

$1.02 ₱63.8

-18.63%

Eggs

$2.68 TZS 7,044

$2.06 ₱129

30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 TZS 19.8K

$9.81 ₱615

-23.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,803

$4.61 ₱289

-52.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 TZS 16.1K

$7.70 ₱483

-20.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 TZS 7,493

$3.31 ₱207

-13.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 TZS 2,918

$1.45 ₱90.9

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,967

$2.36 ₱148

-68.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 TZS 1,556

$1.54 ₱96.4

-61.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,581

$2.36 ₱148

-58.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 TZS 3,871

$1.99 ₱125

-25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 TZS 1,960

$1.15 ₱72.1

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,283

$0.67 ₱42.15

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 TZS 5,403

$3.00 ₱188

-31.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 TZS 24.4K

$6.35 ₱398

46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,043

$1.31 ₱81.9

17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TZS 3,428

$1.73 ₱108

-24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 817

$0.25 ₱15.78

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 TZS 9,701

$0.74 ₱46.32

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 TZS 2,073

$0.21 ₱13.11

276.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 TZS 6,862

$4.33 ₱271

-39.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 TZS 3,339

$1.33 ₱83.5

-4.51%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$48.8K TZS 128.0M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

151.56%

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

$73.3 TZS 192.4K

$121 ₱7,563

-39.19%

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

$11.35 TZS 29.8K

$14.45 ₱907

-21.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.97 TZS 131.1K

$28.29 ₱1,774

76.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.66 TZS 77.8K

$32.68 ₱2,050

-9.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 TZS 25.5K

$5.46 ₱342

77.84%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.93 TZS 33.9K

$49.57 ₱3,109

-73.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.28 TZS 45.3K

$24.87 ₱1,560

-30.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.25 TZS 40.0K

$76.6 ₱4,804

-80.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.08 TZS 34.3K

$59.3 ₱3,717

-77.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$149 TZS 389.9K

$506 ₱31.7K

-70.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 TZS 259.8K

$309 ₱19.4K

-68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 TZS 528.4K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-80.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 393.4K

$619 ₱38.8K

-75.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.6K TZS 98.6M

$2,915 ₱182.9K

1188.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

$1,867 ₱117.1K

513.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 TZS 820.4K

$341 ₱21.4K

-8.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

38.89%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.2%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 28% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$135 23.1%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 21.3% $29

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 11.7% $12

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$99 17%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 213% $210

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 11.1% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 259% $68

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 73.7% $6.5

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 $149 in Zanzibar and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Zanzibar vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $210 per month, with Zanzibar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

15:29 3:29 PM

5 h ahead of Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

964,169

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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 = 2,943 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Cebu 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Cebu. 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: $149 in Zanzibar versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Zanzibar – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $23.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Zanzibar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Zanzibar is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Zanzibar and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zanzibar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.