Dar es Salaam at a glance
- Dar es Salaam is the most expensive of Tanzania's 3 priced cities: $440 a month in essentials, 65% above Mbeya at $266.
- The average net salary of $279 covers that 0.6×.
- 106.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 8.8 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Tanzania cities we track, so every row says whether Dar es Salaam is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $440 | $418 | $22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $201 | $100 | 2.01× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $594 | $150 | 3.96× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $75 | $75 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $57 | $57 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $92 | $92 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $15 | $15 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $279 | $279 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $438 | $150 | 2.92× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,360 | $199 | 6.83× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Dar es Salaam, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $1.89 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $18.87 | $21.70 | $2.83 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.49 | $7.55 | $0.94 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.93 | $1.93 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $0.94 | $0.94 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.89 | $1.89 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.35 | $0.38 | $0.03 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.22 | $0.31 | 1.41× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.86 | $0.86 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.59 | $0.74 | 1.25× as much |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.07 | $0.94 | $0.13 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.95 | $2.26 | $0.31 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.56 | $7.55 | 1.27× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.68 | $3.77 | $0.91 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.53 | $2.53 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.04 | $1.04 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.01 | $0.75 | 1.35× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.90 | $0.94 | $0.04 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.04 | $1.04 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.37 | $0.47 | 1.27× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.25 | $0.30 | $0.05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $14.72 | ||
| Taxi start | $1.65 | $1.65 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.51 | $1.51 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.34 | $1.21 | $0.13 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $56.60 | $56.60 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $34.99 | $45.28 | 1.29× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $8.96 | $11.32 | 1.26× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $81.76 | $37.74 | 2.17× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.09 | $9.43 | 1.85× as much |
Dating-age sex ratio
Dar es Salaam has 106.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the highest of the 10 Tanzania cities we track. Tanzania's national figure is 99.3, so Dar es Salaam runs 7 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Dar es Salaam ranks against every city we track
Dar es Salaam sits ahead of 90% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On clean air it is ahead of 67% of 898. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 10% of 545.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Dar es Salaam sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Rudolf Hellgrewe, Public domain.
