Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Njombe

For one person, living is cheaper in Njombe: $335 a month against $579 in Zanzibar, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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

Njombe

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$335

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar and in Njombe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $579 in Zanzibar versus $335 in Njombe.

Zanzibar $579
Njombe $335

Estimated couple costs with rent: $864 in Zanzibar versus $512 in Njombe.

Zanzibar $864
Njombe $512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,148 in Zanzibar versus $688 in Njombe.

Zanzibar $1,148
Njombe $688

Living in Zanzibar is roughly 73% more expensive than in Njombe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zanzibar 57% lower, Njombe 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.08 TZS 57.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 TZS 14.6K

Cappuccino

$2.20 TZS 5,769

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

$0.58 TZS 1,520

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 776

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 TZS 4,879

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 TZS 6,764

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 TZS 5,521

$0.91 TZS 2,385

131.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 TZS 1,859

$0.59 TZS 1,532

20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,058

$0.91 TZS 2,379

-13.19%

Eggs

$2.71 TZS 7,092

$1.32 TZS 3,459

105.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 TZS 19.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,776

$3.84 TZS 10.1K

-42.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 TZS 15.4K

$2.96 TZS 7,742

98.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 TZS 7,271

$1.48 TZS 3,865

87.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 TZS 3,001

$1.73 TZS 4,542

-33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,050

$1.83 TZS 4,787

-57.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 TZS 1,428

$2.05 TZS 5,367

-73.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 TZS 2,351

$1.35 TZS 3,541

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 TZS 4,063

$2.50 TZS 6,547

-38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 TZS 2,003

$0.39 TZS 1,026

94.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,274

$0.37 TZS 963

32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 TZS 5,445

$1.68 TZS 4,388

23.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 TZS 25.0K

$1.91 TZS 5,004

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TZS 3,921

$1.29 TZS 3,381

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 TZS 3,536

$2.02 TZS 5,296

-33.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 825

$0.27 TZS 712

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.40 TZS 50.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 TZS 9,672

$1.47 TZS 3,839

151.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 TZS 1,920

$1.14 TZS 2,991

-35.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 TZS 6,964

$5.63 TZS 14.7K

-52.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 TZS 3,180

$1.22 TZS 3,204

-0.82%

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

$17.9K TZS 47.0M

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

$48.9K TZS 128.1M

$11.2K TZS 29.3M

337.73%

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

$74.3 TZS 194.6K

$20.57 TZS 53.9K

261.25%

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

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

$15.14 TZS 39.7K

-25.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.43 TZS 126.8K

$57.5 TZS 150.5K

-15.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.77 TZS 75.3K

$22.45 TZS 58.8K

28.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.64 TZS 20.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 TZS 24.3K

$3.80 TZS 9,941

143.68%

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

$327 TZS 856.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 TZS 34.3K

$14.81 TZS 38.8K

-11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 TZS 44.2K

$20.52 TZS 53.7K

-17.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.05 TZS 39.4K

$17.26 TZS 45.2K

-12.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

$15.03 TZS 39.4K

-13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 TZS 385.1K

$111 TZS 291.3K

32.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 TZS 262.1K

$37.52 TZS 98.3K

166.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 TZS 518.2K

$187 TZS 489.4K

5.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 TZS 388.8K

$112 TZS 292.3K

33.02%

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

$258 TZS 675.6K

20.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-16.67%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 18, 2026

Last update for Njombe: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Njombe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$134 23.2%

Njombe

–

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$100 17.3%

Njombe

–

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$99 17.1%

Njombe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$47 8.2%

Njombe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Njombe

–

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.6 * 1.5%

Njombe

–

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 $147 in Zanzibar and $111 in Njombe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zanzibar pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Njombe

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

Same time as Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

92,537

💱 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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Zanzibar Njombe 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Zanzibar
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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 Njombe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zanzibar and Njombe differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($579 vs $335 including rent). Njombe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Zanzibar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $147 in Zanzibar versus $111 in Njombe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Zanzibar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $579 per month in Zanzibar versus $335 in Njombe – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Njombe gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Zanzibar and Njombe 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 Njombe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Zanzibar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.