Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Mbeya

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $427 a month against $581 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Mbeya

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

A single person spends $581 per month in Zanzibar vs $427 in Mbeya, rent included.

Zanzibar $581
Mbeya $427

A couple spends around $866 per month in Zanzibar vs $660 in Mbeya, rent included.

Zanzibar $866
Mbeya $660

A family of three spends $1,151 per month in Zanzibar vs $892 in Mbeya, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,151
Mbeya $892

Zanzibar costs about 36% more than Mbeya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 TZS 12.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.44 TZS 56.1K

$22.70 TZS 59.4K

-5.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 TZS 14.4K

$7.69 TZS 20.1K

-28.22%

Cappuccino

$2.15 TZS 5,632

$1.55 TZS 4,048

38.71%

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

$0.60 TZS 1,560

$0.36 TZS 949

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 TZS 807

$0.36 TZS 948

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 TZS 5,005

$0.78 TZS 2,053

144.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 TZS 6,900

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 TZS 5,377

$0.55 TZS 1,446

272.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 TZS 1,900

$0.92 TZS 2,413

-20.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 TZS 2,181

$0.92 TZS 2,414

-9.78%

Eggs

$2.70 TZS 7,065

$2.24 TZS 5,874

20.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 TZS 20.0K

$3.89 TZS 10.2K

95.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.30 TZS 6,016

$3.70 TZS 9,686

-37.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.14 TZS 16.1K

$3.39 TZS 8,874

81.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 TZS 7,401

$1.17 TZS 3,069

141.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 TZS 2,936

$0.75 TZS 1,956

49.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 TZS 1,898

$0.92 TZS 2,409

-21.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 TZS 1,564

$0.80 TZS 2,083

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 TZS 2,434

$0.98 TZS 2,571

-5.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 TZS 4,030

$0.75 TZS 1,963

105.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 TZS 1,935

$0.56 TZS 1,461

32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 TZS 1,172

$0.77 TZS 2,027

-41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 TZS 5,643

$1.16 TZS 3,037

85.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

$3.88 TZS 10.2K

142.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 TZS 3,893

$0.78 TZS 2,039

91.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TZS 3,433

$1.16 TZS 3,050

12.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 TZS 749

$0.36 TZS 946

-19.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 TZS 9,895

$1.11 TZS 2,909

240.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 TZS 1,897

$1.85 TZS 4,858

-61.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 TZS 6,768

$2.63 TZS 6,877

-1.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 TZS 3,210

$1.19 TZS 3,113

3.36%

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

$48.9K TZS 128.0M

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

$75.4 TZS 197.5K

$24.53 TZS 64.2K

207.38%

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

$11.30 TZS 29.6K

$18.82 TZS 49.3K

-39.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.16 TZS 128.7K

$45.86 TZS 120.1K

7.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.18 TZS 76.4K

$38.53 TZS 100.9K

-24.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 TZS 25.3K

$9.62 TZS 25.2K

0.62%

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

$189 TZS 495.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,132 TZS 3.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

$11.28 TZS 29.5K

15.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.26 TZS 45.2K

$9.33 TZS 24.4K

84.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.13 TZS 39.6K

$18.72 TZS 49.0K

-19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.42 TZS 35.2K

$26.44 TZS 69.3K

-49.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$153 TZS 400.6K

$114 TZS 298.0K

34.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.7 TZS 258.5K

$74.7 TZS 195.5K

32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 TZS 519.2K

$188 TZS 493.6K

5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 392.7K

$113 TZS 295.1K

33.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.7K TZS 98.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K TZS 29.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 TZS 818.4K

$190 TZS 496.4K

64.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-23.08%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mbeya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Mbeya

$116 27.1% 29.7% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$136 23.4%

Mbeya

$89 20.9% 34.3% $47

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$99 17%

Mbeya

$75 17.5% 24.4% $24

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$98 16.9%

Mbeya

$48 * 11.3% 50.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Mbeya

$58 13.5% 19% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.6%

Mbeya

$30 6.9% 11.7% $3.1

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.5 * 1.5%

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8% 38.5% $3.3

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 $114 in Mbeya. 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 65% higher in Zanzibar, 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 $21.00 in Zanzibar versus $23.00 in Mbeya. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Zanzibar vs $116 in Mbeya – so Mbeya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

541,603

💱 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

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Between locations

Zanzibar Mbeya 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
Mbeya

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 Mbeya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zanzibar is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $871 per month in Zanzibar and $641 in Mbeya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Zanzibar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Zanzibar and $23.00 in Mbeya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $581 in Zanzibar and $427 in Mbeya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mbeya. 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.