Mbeya at a glance
- Mbeya is the cheapest of Tanzania's 3 priced cities: $266 a month in essentials, 40% below Dar es Salaam at $440.
- The average net salary of $189 covers that 0.7×.
- 101.3 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 Mbeya 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 | $266 | $418 | 1.57× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $75 | $100 | 1.33× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $113 | $150 | 1.33× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $73 | $75 | $2 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $34 | $57 | 1.68× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $69 | $92 | 1.33× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $15 | $15 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $189 | $279 | 1.48× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $113 | $150 | 1.33× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $189 | $199 | $10 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Mbeya, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $22.64 | $21.70 | $0.94 |
|---|---|---|---|
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.55 | $7.55 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.51 | $1.93 | 1.28× as much |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $0.75 | $0.94 | 1.25× as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.13 | $1.89 | 1.67× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.38 | $0.38 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.38 | $0.31 | $0.07 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.57 | $0.86 | 1.51× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.94 | $0.74 | 1.27× as much |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.94 | $0.94 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.26 | $2.26 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $3.77 | $7.55 | 2.00× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.77 | $3.77 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.13 | $2.53 | 2.24× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.75 | $1.04 | 1.39× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.75 | $0.75 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.94 | $0.94 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.75 | $1.04 | 1.39× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.75 | $0.47 | 1.60× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.38 | $0.30 | 1.27× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $0.00 | ||
| Taxi start | $1.13 | $1.65 | 1.46× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.89 | $1.51 | 1.25× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.21 | $1.21 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $24.06 | $56.60 | 2.35× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $45.28 | $45.28 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $18.87 | $11.32 | 1.67× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $37.74 | $37.74 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $9.43 | $9.43 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Mbeya has 101.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 6th-highest of 10 Tanzania cities we track. Tanzania's national figure is 99.3, so Mbeya runs 2 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Mbeya ranks against every city we track
Mbeya sits ahead of 99% of the 553 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 98% of 542. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 4% of 545.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Mbeya sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Need the full Tanzania model?
Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.
Unlock Tanzania deep-dive
Photo: Mazplusfly, CC BY-SA 4.0.
