Cost of Living in Tanzania for Expats

Guides · Tanzania

Living in Tanzania as an expat costs the most where bills are paid in dollars: rent in Dar es Salaam’s Masaki and Oyster Bay districts and private school tuition, while buses and daily errands stay cheap. The Bank of Tanzania, the central bank, priced the shilling at 2,642.50 per US$1 (its mean rate) on Monday 9 November 2026, and annual inflation was 4.2% in October.

For a US reader the Tanzanian bill is really two bills. Rent and school fees follow the dollar, while buses and daily errands follow the shilling.

The Shilling and Prices in November 2026

The Bank of Tanzania listed a buying rate of 2,629.36 shillings and a selling rate of 2,655.65 shillings per US$1 on 9 November 2026. The mean of the two, 2,642.50, is the rate we use for every conversion in this guide.

Tanzania’s National Bureau of Statistics, the official statistics office, put annual inflation at 4.2% for October 2026 in its release of 9 November. That is the latest official reading of consumer prices.

The central bank’s policy interest rate, the Central Bank Rate, stands at 6.25% for the fourth quarter of 2026. A steady rate and moderate inflation mean the shilling price of daily goods is not jumping month to month, although the exchange rate can still move the dollar value of any local bill.

Dar es Salaam Rent in Masaki, Oyster Bay and Msasani

Masaki, Oyster Bay and Msasani are coastal districts north of the city centre that listing sites market to expats. The listings we found quote rent in US dollars, not shillings.

Tanzanian listing sites show asking prices of about US$1,200 to US$1,500 a month for a two-bedroom flat in Masaki, and about US$1,700 for a furnished one-bedroom. Three-bedroom homes in Oyster Bay and Masaki are listed at about US$2,200 and up to US$3,200 a month, and some landlords ask for six months in advance.

These are asking prices from agents and owners, not signed leases, so we report them as indicative and not confirmed. Agents may add a viewing fee or a commission on top, and the listing pages do not show a clear date.

Arusha Rent and Everyday Costs

Arusha is the northern safari hub, a cooler highland city at the foot of Mount Meru. We could not find a published 2025 or 2026 rent survey for Njiro, Sakina or the city centre, so we give no rent range for Arusha.

Our Arusha city page and the November guide to Arusha cover the neighbourhoods and the events calendar. Check any rent in person before you commit.

Schools Are the Biggest Bill for Families

The International School of Tanganyika (IST), Dar es Salaam’s best-known international school, publishes its 2026 to 2027 tuition in shillings. A year in Kindergarten to Grade 5 costs Tanzanian shillings (TZS) 71.8 million (about US$27,180), and Grade 6 to 8 costs TZS 83.2 million (about US$31,490).

Early childhood classes cost TZS 49.0 million (about US$18,550), Grade 9 and 10 cost TZS 88.5 million (about US$33,490), and the final two years, the International Baccalaureate Diploma (a two-year pre-university programme), cost TZS 101.8 million (about US$38,510). The school also lists an annual capital fee of TZS 3.18 million (about US$1,200) and, for new students, a building fee of TZS 26.5 million (about US$10,030) if paid in full.

Two children in primary grades therefore cost about TZS 143.6 million (about US$54,350) a year in tuition alone. That is roughly three to four times the yearly rent of the Masaki two-bedroom flats above, which is why school fees dominate a family’s budget.

We could not read the fee pages of other Dar es Salaam or Arusha international schools, so we do not quote them. Ask each school for its current fee schedule and its one-off charges.

Getting Around Dar es Salaam

DART, the bus rapid transit system, lists a main-line fare of TZS 1,000 (about US$0.38) and a feeder-bus fare of TZS 500 (about US$0.19). Students pay TZS 200 (about US$0.08).

A commuter who rides the main line twice a day for 22 working days pays TZS 44,000 (about US$16.65) a month. Taxi, ride-hailing and car-hire prices are not confirmed, so we give none.

Fuel is another cost drivers feel. Our report on Tanzania’s fuel subsidies covers pump prices, but we could not read the November price caps, so we give no per-litre figure.

Safaris Against Daily Costs

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, which runs the reserve, charges visitors from outside East Africa US$70.80 a day, and expatriates with valid immigration status US$35.40. Entering the crater costs a further US$295 per vehicle for each trip.

One day’s entry fee alone is more than four times the monthly main-line DART bill above. Residents get a half-price rate, so a long stay in Tanzania makes weekend safaris cheaper than a one-off tourist trip.

Tour operators list the national park fee in Serengeti and on Kilimanjaro at about US$83 per adult per day including 18% value-added tax, but we could not read the national parks authority’s own tariff, so treat that figure as reported, not confirmed. Our safari season guide explains the wet and dry months.

How Tanzania Compares With Nairobi

Our Nairobi cost of living guide shows the same split between a local budget and an international one. We have not compared the two cities line by line, because the rents and school fees come from different sources.

For the economy behind these prices, see who runs Tanzania’s economy. For Dar es Salaam events and neighbourhoods, see the November guide to Dar es Salaam.

What It Means for US Readers

If your income is in US dollars, the big Tanzanian costs, rent and school fees, are already priced in dollars, so a stronger dollar helps little there. It helps most with shilling-priced goods such as transport, meals and services.

A family should budget for school tuition first and rent second. A single person who skips international schools and rents outside the expat districts will face a very different bill.

What Is Not Known

We could not confirm Arusha rents, grocery and restaurant prices, electricity and fuel prices, taxi fares, or the fees of schools other than IST. We also have not confirmed visa and residence-permit fees, because the immigration service’s website did not load.

The Dar es Salaam rents above are asking prices, and the national park fee is reported but not read from the authority’s own tariff. The shilling rate changes daily, so convert again before you pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an expat need to live in Tanzania?

It depends on rent and schooling. A two-bedroom flat in Masaki is asked at about US$1,200 to US$1,500 a month (unconfirmed asking prices), and international school tuition runs from about US$18,550 a year.

What is the Tanzanian shilling rate against the dollar?

The Bank of Tanzania’s mean rate on 9 November 2026 was 2,642.50 shillings per US$1. Its buying rate was 2,629.36 and its selling rate 2,655.65.

Is Tanzania cheaper than Kenya for expats?

We have not confirmed a like-for-like comparison. Rents and school fees for both countries come from different sources, so we give each city’s figures separately.

How much is a bus ride in Dar es Salaam?

The DART bus rapid transit main line costs TZS 1,000 (about US$0.38) and feeder buses TZS 500 (about US$0.19). Students pay TZS 200 (about US$0.08).

Sources read on 9 November 2026: Bank of Tanzania exchange-rate page (https://www.bot.go.tz/ExchangeRate/excRates) and policy rate (https://www.bot.go.tz/); National Bureau of Statistics consumer price release (https://www.nbs.go.tz/statistics/topic/consumer-price-index-2026); Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority tariffs (https://www.ncaa.go.tz/tariffs/); DART fares (https://www.dart.go.tz/fares); International School of Tanganyika tuition and fees (https://www.istafrica.co.tz/admissions/tuition-and-fees); Tanzanian property listing sites for asking rents; tour-operator tariff tables for national park fees.

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