Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Asmara vs Dar es Salaam

Asmara vs Dar es Salaam

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Dar es Salaam +16 Mbps N/A / N/A

Asmara

mulugeta wolde/Unsplash

Dar es Salaam

Peter Mitchell/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,253

Asmara

$1,236

Dar es Salaam

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Asmara

N/A

Dar es Salaam

Air Quality

5/5

Asmara

5/5

Dar es Salaam

Healthcare

N/A

Asmara

N/A

Dar es Salaam

Population

804.0k

Asmara

4.4m

Dar es Salaam

Asmara (Eritrea) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) are both in Africa, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Both cities sit in a similar price range — Asmara at $1253/mo and Dar es Salaam at $1236/mo — so cost alone is not a deciding factor here.

Internet & Infrastructure

Dar es Salaam leads on internet connectivity at 18 Mbps (ranked #171 globally) versus Asmara's 2 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Asmara and Dar es Salaam share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Asmara and Dar es Salaam.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Asmara is February (around 24 degrees, 0mm rain, score 344), while Dar es Salaam peaks in May (33 degrees, 0mm rain, score 373). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

AsmaraDar es Salaam

Nomad$1,253/mo$1,236/mo

Expat$661/mo$992/mo

Local–$685/mo

Family–$2,398/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

AsmaraDar es Salaam

City Speed

2 Mbps

18 Mbps#171

Country Speed0 Mbps18 Mbps

Environment & Health

AsmaraDar es Salaam

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity3572

Quality of Life

AsmaraDar es Salaam

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Asmara

Dar es Salaam

Jan

22°

0mm324

37°

3mm293

Feb

24°

0mm344

38°

1mm304

Mar

24°

0mm344

38°

5mm304

Apr

25°

0mm344

33°

14mm142

May

26°

0mm344

33°

0mm373

Jun

25°

0mm329

31°

0mm365

Jul

21°

2mm232

32°

0mm363

Aug

20°

7mm109

32°

1mm347

Sep

22°

0mm314

32°

1mm304

Oct

21°

0mm324

34°

1mm293

Nov

21°

0mm324

36°

1mm309

Dec

20°

0mm324

36°

2mm283

Who Should Choose Asmara?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1253
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Peak season in February — 24 degrees, score 344

Who Should Choose Dar es Salaam?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1236
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2397.807530241215/mo for families
Major city energy with 4.4m residents
Peak season in May — 33 degrees, score 373

Overall Verdict

Overall, Dar es Salaam edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1236/mo it runs 1% cheaper than Asmara's $1253/mo, with 18 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Asmara Dar es Salaam

ItemAsmaraDar es SalaamDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$11.4$2.14

81%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$20$24.65

19%

McMeal or equivalent combo$2.67$6.64

60%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.06$1.8

41%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1$1.07

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2$1.71

15%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.56$0.31

80%

Water (0.33L)$1.57$0.26

83%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.45$1.03

29%

White bread (500g)$0.5$0.58

14%

White rice (1kg)$1.87$0.94

50%

Eggs (12)$4.8$1.93

60%

Chicken fillets (1kg)—$3.74

—

Beef round (1kg)$10$3.92

61%

Local cheese (1kg)—$8.79

—

Apples (1kg)$4.33$3.04

30%

Bananas (1kg)$1$1.05

Oranges (1kg)$1.89$1.06

44%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.44$1.12

22%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.56$0.83

47%

Onions (1kg)$1$1.08

Lettuce (1 head)$0.67$0.77

13%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.58$0.47

70%

Wine, mid-range bottle—$6.43

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1$0.98

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.33$1.81

27%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.5$1.71

32%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.22$0.28

21%

Monthly transport pass—$5.32

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.67$1.5

55%

Taxi per 1km$0.67$2.14

69%

Taxi 1hr waiting$6.67$4.29

36%

Gasoline (1L)$2.17$1.13

48%

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$22,503.21

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$6,572.37

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$30$92.87

68%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo—$44.53

—

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.1$0.01

90%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$41.33

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10$13.57

26%

Cinema, 1 ticket$1$4.29

77%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$25$311.55

92%

International primary school/yr$750$6,537.29

89%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$30$13.47

55%

Summer dress (chain store)$30$29.65

Nike running shoes (mid-range)—$74.3

—

Men's leather business shoes$40$56.79

30%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$650$333.22

49%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$600$364.59

39%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$850$809.6

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$750$761.37

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,038.2$3,901.17

73%

Price per m², outside centre$1,337.96$6,000.86

78%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,060$264.32

75%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$13.1

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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