Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $577 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$577

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $577 in Zanzibar versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Zanzibar $577
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $857 in Zanzibar versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Zanzibar $857
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,137 in Zanzibar versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Zanzibar $1,137
Dubai $5,788

Living in Zanzibar costs roughly 80% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zanzibar is 57% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.78 TZS 12.5K

$13.04 AED 47.89

-63.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.74 TZS 57.0K

$81.4 AED 299

-73.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 TZS 14.5K

$9.32 AED 34.25

-40.56%

Cappuccino

$2.21 TZS 5,810

$5.97 AED 21.93

-62.98%

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

$0.60 TZS 1,568

$1.63 AED 5.98

-63.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TZS 874

$0.81 AED 2.99

-59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 TZS 4,999

$13.65 AED 50.1

-86.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 TZS 7,135

$13.38 AED 49.15

-79.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 TZS 5,357

$1.81 AED 6.64

12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 TZS 1,902

$1.57 AED 5.78

-54.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 TZS 2,185

$2.49 AED 9.16

-66.67%

Eggs

$2.68 TZS 7,044

$3.28 AED 12.04

-18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 TZS 19.8K

$12.67 AED 46.53

-40.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,803

$9.75 AED 35.80

-77.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 TZS 16.1K

$13.18 AED 48.40

-53.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 TZS 7,493

$2.61 AED 9.57

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 TZS 2,918

$1.93 AED 7.09

-42.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 TZS 1,967

$1.92 AED 7.05

-60.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 TZS 1,556

$1.36 AED 5.00

-56.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,581

$1.17 AED 4.29

-16.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 TZS 3,871

$1.01 AED 3.71

46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 TZS 1,960

$1.51 AED 5.56

-50.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,283

$0.62 AED 2.29

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 TZS 5,403

$5.85 AED 21.50

-64.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 TZS 24.4K

$16.14 AED 59.3

-42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 TZS 4,043

$2.65 AED 9.74

-41.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TZS 3,428

$2.95 AED 10.82

-55.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 817

$1.64 AED 6.03

-81.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 TZS 9,701

$3.17 AED 11.66

16.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 TZS 2,073

$0.71 AED 2.63

11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 TZS 6,862

$7.96 AED 29.23

-67.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 TZS 3,339

$0.99 AED 3.64

28.28%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

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

$48.8K TZS 128.0M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

116.49%

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

$73.3 TZS 192.4K

$250 AED 920

-70.72%

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

$11.35 TZS 29.8K

$54.2 AED 199

-79.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.97 TZS 131.1K

$91.8 AED 337

-45.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.66 TZS 77.8K

$98.6 AED 362

-69.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$9.71 TZS 25.5K

$16.03 AED 58.9

-39.43%

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

$843 AED 3,098

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.93 TZS 33.9K

$68.0 AED 250

-80.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.28 TZS 45.3K

$57.9 AED 213

-70.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.25 TZS 40.0K

$101 AED 370

-84.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.08 TZS 34.3K

$101 AED 371

-87.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$149 TZS 389.9K

$2,380 AED 8,741

-93.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 TZS 259.8K

$1,506 AED 5,531

-93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 TZS 528.4K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-95.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 393.4K

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-95.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.6K TZS 98.6M

$7,121 AED 26.2K

427.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

$4,135 AED 15.2K

177.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 TZS 820.4K

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-90.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

120.26%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.2%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 78.1% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$135 23.1%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 194% $262

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 208% $209

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$99 17%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 1421% $1.4K

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 166% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 460% $121

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5%

Dubai

$87 3% 878% $78

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 $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 984% 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 $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $293 per month, with Zanzibar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

1 h ahead of Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.81 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Dubai 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 395% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 984% lower in Dubai. 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 $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Dubai. 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 $81.0 in Dubai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $577 in Zanzibar versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zanzibar but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Zanzibar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Zanzibar and Dubai 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 395% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.