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Tanzania Cost of Living 2026
๐น๐ฟ 3 cities in Tanzania, sorted by daily travel budget. Not the exchange rate โ how cheap it feels on your own income, and where a price becomes a rip-off. Updated October 2026
Cities in Tanzania compared
| City | Per day | Per month | Local meal | Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐น๐ฟ ArushaTourist ยท mid-size | $73.9 | $1,026 | TSh10,000 | TSh4,500 |
| ๐น๐ฟ Dar es SalaamBig city ยท coast | $97.3 | $1,284 | TSh8,000 | TSh5,500 |
| ๐น๐ฟ ZanzibarTourist town | $127 | $1,263 | TSh12,000 | TSh5,500 |
Per day = one mid-range night + three meals, a coffee and two taxi rides. Open a city for item-by-item prices, rip-off thresholds and live traveler reports.
Everyday prices in Tanzania
| City | Beer | 5 km taxi | Hotel night | Massage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐น๐ฟ Arusha | TSh3,000 | TSh6,000 | TSh100,000 | TSh40,000 |
| ๐น๐ฟ Dar es Salaam | TSh4,000 | TSh10,000 | TSh160,000 | TSh40,000 |
| ๐น๐ฟ Zanzibar | TSh6,000 | TSh15,000 | TSh200,000 | TSh70,000 |
Tanzania vs nearby countries
| Country | Per day | Per month | vs Tanzania |
|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ณ๐ฌ Nigeria | $83.1 | $1,207 | -16% |
| ๐บ๐ฌ Uganda | $90.1 | $1,181 | -9% |
| ๐ท๐ผ Rwanda | $94.2 | $1,307 | -5% |
| ๐น๐ฟ Tanzania | $99.2 | $1,191 | this country |
| ๐ช๐น Ethiopia | $99.3 | $1,042 | 0% |
| ๐น๐ณ Tunisia | $100 | $1,330 | +1% |
| ๐ฐ๐ช Kenya | $109 | $1,300 | +10% |
| ๐ฒ๐ฆ Morocco | $116 | $1,654 | +17% |
Countries in the same region with a similar daily travel budget. Tap a country for its city-by-city prices.
Dar es Salaam vs New York: item by item
| Item | Dar es Salaam | New York | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local meal | TSh8,000โ $3.03 | $20 | -85% |
| Coffee | TSh5,500โ $2.08 | $6 | -65% |
| Beer | TSh4,000โ $1.52 | $9 | -83% |
| 5 km taxi | TSh10,000โ $3.79 | $23 | -84% |
| Hotel night | TSh160,000โ $60.6 | $270 | -78% |
| 1-bed rent | TSh900,000โ $341 | $3,300 | -90% |
Same purchase in both cities, converted to US dollars. Daily travel budget: Dar es Salaam $97.3 vs New York $467 โ about 79% cheaper.
Compare Tanzania with other cities
Tanzania travel difficulty
| City | Overall | Rip-offs | Language | Transport | Payments | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam | Hard 3.0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Zanzibar | Hard 3.2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Arusha | Hard 3.4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, 1โ5 (closer to 1 is easier). Tap a city for reasons and tips. Full difficulty ranking โบ
City guides
FAQ
How much is a daily travel budget in Tanzania?
With a mid-range room, between $73.9 and $127 a day depending on the city โ about $99.2 on average. Hostels and local eateries cut that by 30% or more.
How much does a month in Tanzania cost?
Short-term rental plus living costs runs $1,026โ$1,284 by city, about $1,191 on average.
Which city in Tanzania is cheapest?
By daily budget, Arusha ($73.9/day) is the cheapest and Zanzibar ($127/day) the most expensive.
Which nearby country is cheaper than Tanzania?
Among countries in the same region with similar budgets, Nigeria runs about $83.1 a day โ 16% less than Tanzania (about $99.2).
Is Tanzania cheaper than New York?
In Dar es Salaam, a traveler's day runs about $97.3 versus $467 in New York โ roughly 79% cheaper. The gap differs by item, so meals, coffee, taxis and hotels are listed separately above.