Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Hyderabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Hyderabad: $491 a month against $581 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Hyderabad

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

A single person spends $581 per month in Zanzibar vs $491 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Zanzibar $581
Hyderabad $491

A couple spends around $866 per month in Zanzibar vs $806 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Zanzibar $866
Hyderabad $806

A family of three spends $1,151 per month in Zanzibar vs $1,121 in Hyderabad, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,151
Hyderabad $1,121

Zanzibar costs about 18% more than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Zanzibar and Hyderabad are more affordable than the global median – Zanzibar 57% lower, Hyderabad 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 TZS 12.2K

$2.65 ₹251

75.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.44 TZS 56.1K

$15.86 ₹1,506

35.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 TZS 14.4K

$5.29 ₹502

4.35%

Cappuccino

$2.15 TZS 5,632

$2.31 ₹219

-6.93%

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

$0.60 TZS 1,560

$0.46 ₹43.39

30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 TZS 807

$0.15 ₹14.46

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 TZS 5,005

$2.04 ₹194

-6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 TZS 6,900

$4.27 ₹405

-38.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 TZS 5,377

$0.83 ₹78.5

146.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 TZS 1,900

$0.57 ₹54.5

28.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 TZS 2,181

$0.72 ₹68.5

15.28%

Eggs

$2.70 TZS 7,065

$1.02 ₹96.9

164.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 TZS 20.0K

$6.95 ₹660

9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.30 TZS 6,016

$3.31 ₹314

-30.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.14 TZS 16.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 TZS 7,401

$2.28 ₹216

24.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 TZS 2,936

$0.71 ₹67.0

57.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 TZS 1,898

$1.12 ₹106

-35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 TZS 1,564

$0.47 ₹44.19

27.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 TZS 2,434

$0.39 ₹36.70

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 TZS 4,030

$0.39 ₹36.70

294.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 TZS 1,935

$0.52 ₹49.52

42.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 TZS 1,172

$0.30 ₹28.03

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 TZS 5,643

$5.16 ₹490

-58.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

$8.54 ₹811

10.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 TZS 3,893

$1.75 ₹166

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TZS 3,433

$2.62 ₹249

-50.00%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.46 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 TZS 749

$0.50 ₹47.11

-42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.88 ₹1,413

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 TZS 9,895

$0.96 ₹91.3

293.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 TZS 1,897

$0.53 ₹50.3

35.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 TZS 6,768

$1.13 ₹108

128.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 TZS 3,210

$1.17 ₹111

5.13%

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

$15.3K ₹1.5M

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

$48.9K TZS 128.0M

$22.8K ₹2.2M

114.21%

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

$75.4 TZS 197.5K

$35.47 ₹3,368

112.57%

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

$11.30 TZS 29.6K

$4.20 ₹399

169.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.16 TZS 128.7K

$7.92 ₹752

520.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.18 TZS 76.4K

$24.75 ₹2,350

17.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.27 ₹691

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 TZS 25.3K

$3.08 ₹293

214.29%

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

$103 ₹9,768

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,753 ₹261.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

$22.36 ₹2,123

-41.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.26 TZS 45.2K

$21.36 ₹2,028

-19.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.13 TZS 39.6K

$43.24 ₹4,106

-65.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.42 TZS 35.2K

$35.07 ₹3,331

-61.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$153 TZS 400.6K

$229 ₹21.7K

-33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.7 TZS 258.5K

$132 ₹12.5K

-25.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 TZS 519.2K

$614 ₹58.3K

-67.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 392.7K

$332 ₹31.5K

-54.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.7K TZS 98.8M

$1,349 ₹128.1K

2695.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K TZS 29.5M

$766 ₹72.7K

1369.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 TZS 818.4K

$1,209 ₹114.8K

-74.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.46

18.20%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hyderabad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Hyderabad

$119 24.3% 27.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$136 23.4%

Hyderabad

$48 9.7% 65% $88

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$99 17%

Hyderabad

$132 26.9% 33.7% $33

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$98 16.9%

Hyderabad

$86 17.5% 12.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Hyderabad

$31 6.3% 36.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.6%

Hyderabad

$55 11.2% 107% $28

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.5 * 1.5%

Hyderabad

$20 4.2% 140% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $153 in Zanzibar versus $229 in Hyderabad. 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 287% higher in Hyderabad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Zanzibar versus $16.00 in Hyderabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $119 – making Hyderabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

6,809,970

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Hyderabad 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
Hyderabad

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 Hyderabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar costs about 18% more than Hyderabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $871 per month in Zanzibar and $737 in Hyderabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hyderabad, 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 $581 in Zanzibar and $491 in Hyderabad. That's a gap of about 18%.

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $581 in Zanzibar and $491 in Hyderabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hyderabad costs $491 versus $581 in Zanzibar. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Hyderabad. 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.