Mwanza at a glance
- Mwanza ranks 5th of 8 priced cities in Tanzania on cost: $367 a month in essentials, 38% above Mbeya, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $223 covers that 0.6×.
- 105 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 9.5 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 8 Tanzania cities we track, so every row says whether Mwanza 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 | $367 | $367 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $151 | $151 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $446 | $446 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $66 | $66 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $50 | $50 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $86 | $86 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $14 | $14 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $223 | $223 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $328 | $328 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,020 | $1,020 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Mwanza, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $1.66 | $1.66 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $16.61 | $16.61 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.47 | $7.47 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.70 | $1.70 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $0.83 | $0.83 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.66 | $1.66 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.31 | $0.31 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.19 | $0.19 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.76 | $0.76 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.52 | $0.52 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.94 | $0.94 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.72 | $1.72 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.41 | $8.41 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.12 | $4.12 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.23 | $2.23 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.92 | $0.92 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.89 | $0.89 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.79 | $0.79 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.92 | $0.92 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.33 | $0.33 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.23 | $0.23 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $13.84 | $13.84 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.55 | $1.55 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.42 | $1.42 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.26 | $1.26 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $53.20 | $53.20 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $32.89 | $32.89 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $8.42 | $8.42 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $71.95 | $71.95 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $4.48 | $4.48 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Mwanza has 105 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the 2nd-highest of 10 Tanzania cities we track. Tanzania's national figure is 99.3, so Mwanza runs 6 above the country as a whole.
Every Tanzania region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Mwanza ranks against every city we track
Mwanza sits ahead of 91% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 67% of 1010. Its weakest measure is local salary, ahead of only 13% of 999.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Mwanza sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Mwanza on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Mwanza beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Mwanza in the research deskOr unlock the Tanzania deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Prof.Chen Hualin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated