Dar es Salaam vs Paje (Zanzibar)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Dar es Salaam edges it, 48 to 43, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Dar es Salaam is stronger on internet, climate; Paje (Zanzibar) on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Swahili coast city with Zanzibar next door
Full Dar es Salaam profile →Where to stay in Dar es Salaam →Zanzibar's kitesurfing village and the island's actual nomad base
Full Paje (Zanzibar) profile →Where to stay in Paje (Zanzibar) →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Dar es Salaam | Paje (Zanzibar) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | no data | no data |
| Safety | 55 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 43 | 43 |
| Internet | 43 ✓ | 13 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 44 | 44 ✓ |
| Climate | 75 ✓ | 50 |
| Air quality | 72 | 83 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 20 | 20 |
Cost
| Metric | Dar es Salaam | Paje (Zanzibar) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | no data | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Dar es Salaam | Paje (Zanzibar) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 57.3 | 57.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 49 | 49 |
| Life expectancy | 66.8 yrs | 66.8 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Dar es Salaam | Paje (Zanzibar) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 9.5 Mbps ✓ | 1.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 3.2 Mbps ✓ | 1.4 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Dar es Salaam | Paje (Zanzibar) |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Dar es Salaam | Paje (Zanzibar) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 ✓ | 32 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Dar es Salaam | Paje (Zanzibar) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 9 ✓ | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 17.4 µg/m³ | 12.5 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Dar es Salaam or Paje (Zanzibar)?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Dar es Salaam or Paje (Zanzibar) safer?
- Dar es Salaam scores higher on safety (55 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Dar es Salaam or Paje (Zanzibar)?
- Dar es Salaam: a measured median of 9.5 Mbps versus 1.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Dar es Salaam vs Lusaka
- Dar es Salaam vs Harare
- Paje (Zanzibar) vs Zanzibar City
- Paje (Zanzibar) vs Harare
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.