Backpacking Tanzania. Budget for low cost travellers.

¿ How much money do you need to travel through Tanzania ?

We visited Tanzania in February - March  2015 during 1.5 month, moving with public transport, doing couchsurfing and sleeping in small local hotels, eating in local restaurants. You can see all the details on the right sidebar menu.

Tanzania is a famous destination in Africa. At least some places, like the northern safari circuit departing from Arusha visiting world known parks like Serengeti and Ngorongoro; climb Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar island. But most of this activities will be out of reach if your budget is tight.

To visit the game parks, joining a safari tour will cost at least 100-150 $/pp/day. 
Climbing Kilimanjaro is around 1.200 $ in 5 days. 
Zanzibar is still affordable but not as cheap as other tropical islands in Asia for example.

Tanzania is a very cheap country for everyday´s life. Transport, food and accommodation are one of the cheapest we saw during our Africa trip. But tourist spots and activities (game parks, mountains, diving) are really expensive, like always in Eastern Africa.

Tanzania Currency

It´s the Tanzania Shilling.

Around tourist areas, like Arusha, Moshi and Zanzibar, US$ are also usual for tourist activities and accommodation prices. So expect to pay your safari in US$.

For the entrance fees of the National Parks, prices for foreigners are in US$ and you can pay with credit card (but better carry cash just in case).

Average exchange rate in January-march 2015:  1 €= 2.000 Shillings, ATM rate was always a bit lower, around 1.950 Sh.

 
Reference prices: 

In Tanzania, there are 2 galaxies: the cheap everyday´s life and the expensive tourist prices.
If you are a foreigner, you will always pay much more than locals or residents in national parks and Zanzibar ferries.

Here are some reference prices to calculate how much money you need in Tanzania.

- Accommodation in local lodges: 7 €/double room.

- Accommodation in tourist places: 20 €/pp!

- Transport: cheap, around 1 €/hour.

- Food: for 1-2 € you will have a dish in a local restaurant. Much much more in a tourist place, even x10!

- National Parks in Tanzania: famous and popular parks 45- 70 $/pp/day (plus 10-200 $/car/day) and 30 $/pp/day for other parks.


   OUR BUDGET   

• Accommodation: 608.000 Sh (312 €)

          28 nights hotel room + 1 night ferry Zanzibar +  12 nights couchsurfing.

• Food/drinks: 383.000 Sh ( 196 €)

• Transport: 430.000 Sh ( 220 €)

• Mixed: 35.000 Sh (18 €)

• Visa: 100 $ (84 €)

• Insurrance:  21 €

Total: 851 €for 2 people for  42 days/41 nights

Average budget /day in Tanzania:  20,3 € for 2 people.

Average budget /month in Tanzania:  608 € for 2 people.

Extras:  40 € (we were stolen in Iringa, doing with couchsurfing!!!).