Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Dodoma

For one person, living is cheaper in Dodoma: $430 a month against $579 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$579

/mo nomad

Dodoma

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Dodoma

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

A single person spends $579 per month in Zanzibar vs $430 in Dodoma, rent included.

Zanzibar $579
Dodoma $430

A couple spends around $864 per month in Zanzibar vs $616 in Dodoma, rent included.

Zanzibar $864
Dodoma $616

A family of three spends $1,148 per month in Zanzibar vs $802 in Dodoma, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,148
Dodoma $802

Zanzibar costs about 35% more than Dodoma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Zanzibar and Dodoma are more affordable than the global median – Zanzibar 57% lower, Dodoma 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

$2.72 TZS 7,115

72.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.08 TZS 57.8K

$19.07 TZS 50.0K

15.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 TZS 14.6K

$7.41 TZS 19.4K

-24.56%

Cappuccino

$2.20 TZS 5,769

$1.94 TZS 5,076

13.40%

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

$0.58 TZS 1,520

$0.34 TZS 878

70.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 776

$0.84 TZS 2,197

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 TZS 4,879

$0.80 TZS 2,101

132.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 TZS 6,764

$3.22 TZS 8,440

-19.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 TZS 5,521

$0.87 TZS 2,271

142.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 TZS 1,859

$0.79 TZS 2,058

-10.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,058

$1.01 TZS 2,655

-21.78%

Eggs

$2.71 TZS 7,092

$2.25 TZS 5,906

20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 TZS 19.9K

$5.79 TZS 15.2K

30.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,776

$6.71 TZS 17.6K

-67.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 TZS 15.4K

$3.85 TZS 10.1K

52.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 TZS 7,271

$2.39 TZS 6,262

16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 TZS 3,001

$0.93 TZS 2,436

23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,050

$0.72 TZS 1,897

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 TZS 1,428

$1.54 TZS 4,041

-64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 TZS 2,351

$1.03 TZS 2,695

-12.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 TZS 4,063

$1.69 TZS 4,425

-8.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 TZS 2,003

$0.48 TZS 1,262

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,274

$0.36 TZS 954

36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 TZS 5,445

$1.54 TZS 4,041

35.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 TZS 25.0K

$3.68 TZS 9,639

159.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TZS 3,921

$0.83 TZS 2,169

80.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 TZS 3,536

$1.25 TZS 3,287

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 TZS 9,672

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 TZS 1,920

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 TZS 6,964

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 TZS 3,180

$1.37 TZS 3,596

-11.68%

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

$48.9K TZS 128.1M

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

$74.3 TZS 194.6K

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

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

$18.53 TZS 48.5K

-39.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.43 TZS 126.8K

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

158.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.77 TZS 75.3K

$56.9 TZS 149.0K

-49.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.66 TZS 20.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 TZS 24.3K

$3.86 TZS 10.1K

139.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 TZS 34.3K

$7.40 TZS 19.4K

77.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 TZS 44.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.05 TZS 39.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 TZS 385.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 TZS 262.1K

$95.7 TZS 250.7K

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 TZS 518.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 TZS 388.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.8K TZS 99.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 TZS 816.7K

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 18, 2026

Last update for Dodoma: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Dodoma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$134 23.2%

Dodoma

–

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$100 17.3%

Dodoma

–

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$99 17.1%

Dodoma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$47 8.2%

Dodoma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Dodoma

–

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.6 * 1.5%

Dodoma

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Zanzibar versus $19.00 in Dodoma. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $147 – making Dodoma the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Dodoma

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

Same time as Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

765,179 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Zanzibar Dodoma 380 km

From you

Zanzibar
Dodoma

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 Dodoma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar costs about 35% more than Dodoma, 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 $869 per month in Zanzibar and $646 in Dodoma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $579 in Zanzibar and $430 in Dodoma. That's a gap of about 35%.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Zanzibar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $579 in Zanzibar and $430 in Dodoma, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Dodoma – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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