Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Morogoro

For one person, living is cheaper in Morogoro: $374 a month against $581 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
18

Cost of Living Index in Morogoro
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Morogoro Living Index

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$581

/mo nomad

Morogoro

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Morogoro

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

A single person spends $581 per month in Zanzibar vs $374 in Morogoro, rent included.

Zanzibar $581
Morogoro $374

A couple spends around $865 per month in Zanzibar vs $629 in Morogoro, rent included.

Zanzibar $865
Morogoro $629

A family of three spends $1,150 per month in Zanzibar vs $884 in Morogoro, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,150
Morogoro $884

Zanzibar costs about 55% more than Morogoro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zanzibar and Morogoro are more affordable than the global median – Zanzibar 57% lower, Morogoro 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 TZS 12.1K

$1.91 TZS 5,008

142.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.81 TZS 57.1K

$18.54 TZS 48.5K

17.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 TZS 14.5K

$7.49 TZS 19.6K

-25.90%

Cappuccino

$2.11 TZS 5,519

$1.98 TZS 5,189

6.57%

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

$0.58 TZS 1,532

$0.38 TZS 987

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 TZS 804

$0.22 TZS 576

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 TZS 4,875

$0.92 TZS 2,414

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 TZS 6,869

$1.92 TZS 5,018

36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 TZS 5,510

$0.71 TZS 1,870

195.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 TZS 1,991

$0.40 TZS 1,037

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 TZS 2,106

$0.97 TZS 2,545

-17.53%

Eggs

$2.67 TZS 6,996

$1.79 TZS 4,685

49.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 TZS 19.3K

$9.21 TZS 24.1K

-20.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.22 TZS 5,821

$4.41 TZS 11.6K

-49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 TZS 15.5K

$3.71 TZS 9,723

59.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 TZS 7,243

$1.14 TZS 2,992

142.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 TZS 2,910

$0.56 TZS 1,464

98.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 TZS 1,926

$0.55 TZS 1,452

34.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 TZS 1,436

$0.37 TZS 969

48.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 TZS 2,607

$0.72 TZS 1,884

38.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 TZS 4,017

$0.58 TZS 1,525

163.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 TZS 2,088

$0.81 TZS 2,117

-1.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,279

$0.25 TZS 648

96.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 TZS 5,616

$1.49 TZS 3,909

43.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 TZS 24.6K

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 TZS 4,018

$0.72 TZS 1,876

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 TZS 3,365

$1.54 TZS 4,031

-16.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 824

$0.29 TZS 747

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.40 TZS 22.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 TZS 9,745

$1.60 TZS 4,194

132.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 TZS 2,047

$0.55 TZS 1,429

41.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 TZS 7,096

$12.98 TZS 34.0K

-79.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 TZS 3,282

$0.78 TZS 2,044

60.26%

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

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

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

$50.5K TZS 132.1M

$25.7K TZS 67.2M

96.61%

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

$74.8 TZS 195.9K

$57.6 TZS 150.9K

29.86%

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

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

$8.93 TZS 23.4K

26.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 TZS 131.2K

$34.27 TZS 89.7K

46.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 TZS 78.2K

$11.37 TZS 29.8K

162.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 TZS 24.9K

$4.98 TZS 13.0K

90.96%

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

$569 TZS 1.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,547 TZS 19.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.91 TZS 33.8K

$7.33 TZS 19.2K

76.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.77 TZS 43.9K

$25.55 TZS 66.9K

-34.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.19 TZS 39.8K

$44.56 TZS 116.7K

-65.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.00 TZS 34.1K

$18.99 TZS 49.7K

-31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 TZS 399.2K

$75.2 TZS 197.1K

102.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 TZS 262.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 TZS 527.8K

$189 TZS 493.7K

6.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 TZS 393.6K

$94.9 TZS 248.4K

58.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.9K TZS 99.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.2K TZS 29.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$320 TZS 839.3K

$306 TZS 800.9K

4.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

-45.21%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Morogoro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.2%

Morogoro

$122 32.7% 25.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$136 23.4%

Morogoro

$101 27% 26% $35

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$100 17.2%

Morogoro

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$97 16.7%

Morogoro

$72 19.4% 25.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$49 8.4%

Morogoro

$21 5.7% 56.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Morogoro

$43 11.6% 66.7% $17

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.9 * 1.5%

Morogoro

$14 3.7% 56% $5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $152 in Zanzibar versus $75 in Morogoro. 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 5% 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 $22 in Zanzibar versus $19 in Morogoro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $122 – making Morogoro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Morogoro

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

Same time as Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

471,409

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Morogoro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar costs about 55% more than Morogoro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $561 in Morogoro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Morogoro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $75 there versus $152 in Zanzibar.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $581 in Zanzibar and $374 in Morogoro. That makes Morogoro about 36% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Zanzibar, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $581 in Zanzibar and $374 in Morogoro, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Zanzibar has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $374 in Morogoro to $581 in Zanzibar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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