expatwhy.

Cost of living in Dar es Salaam

One person can expect roughly $793 a month in Dar es Salaam, before flights and one-off setup costs.

one person, monthly

$793

family of four, monthly

$2,910

What that actually covers.

Monthly cost components for Dar es Salaam
ItemUSD / month
Rent, one bedroom

Modelled from a country baseline, not a quoted listing.

$450
Food and groceries$120
Utilities$45
Mobile data$11
Local transport$35
Coworking

15/day × 4 days/mo regional estimate

$60
Buffer

Headroom for everything not itemised above.

$72
Total$793

Estimate. Rent is modelled from a country baseline, not a quoted listing.

What this figure leaves out

Flights, visa fees, health insurance, a rental deposit (often one to three months up front), agency fees, furniture, and the first-month overlap where you pay for a short stay and a lease at the same time. Budget for those separately; they are a one-off cash need, not a monthly cost.