WHERE TO BUY
Five areas, five very different lives
Zanzibar is small, but each coast feels like a different island. Choose the area that fits how you want to live, then the property.
EAST COAST
AT A GLANCE
How the areas compare
Each area suits a different kind of buyer. Use this table to narrow your shortlist, then read the profiles below.
Area
Coast
Notes
Feel
Rental demand
From the airport
Paje
East
Short-stay rental investors, active buyers
Lively, casual
Strong in kite season
About 1 hour
Nungwi & Kendwa
North
Holiday homes, occupancy-focused investors
Busy, resort-led
High year-round
About 1.5 hours
Kiwengwa
Northeast
Families, retirees, buyers wanting calm
Peaceful, spread out
Resort guests, longer stays
About 1 hour
Fumba
West
Residency seekers, families, remote workers
Suburban, community
Residents, mid-term lets
About 25 minutes
Stone Town
West
Culture lovers, boutique-hotel investors
Historic, urban
Cultural travelers
About 15 minutes
Travel times are approximate and depend on traffic and exact location.
Paje
Best for: short-stay rental investors, active buyers
FEEL
Lively, casual
Strong in kite season
RENTALS
About 1 hr from the airport
NORTH
Nungwi & Kendwa
Best for: holiday homes, occupancy-focused investors
FEEL
Busy, resort-led
High year-round
RENTALS
About 1.5 hr from the airport
NORTHEAST
Resort guests, longer stays
Kiwengwa
Best for: families, retirees, buyers wanting calm
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FEEL
Peaceful, spread out
RENTALS
About 1 hr from the airport
WEST COAST
Fumba
Best for: residency seekers, families, remote workers
FEEL
Suburban, community
Residents, mid-term lets
RENTALS
About 25 min from the airport
WEST COAST
Stone Town
Best for: culture lovers, boutique-hotel investors
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FEEL
Historic, urban
Cultural travelers
RENTALS
About 15 min from the airport
East Coast
Paje
A kite-surf village on a wide, white-sand beach with a shallow lagoon. Paje has an easy-going international crowd, beach Café and a steady flow of visitors who come for the wind and stay for weeks.Â
Best for
Short-stay rental investors, younger and active buyers
Feel
Lively, casual, international
Rental demand
Strong, especially in kite season
Watch out for
The beach is tidal; the water recedes far at low tide
Typical prices
Studios USD $94,000 - $110,000; one-bedroom apartments $135,000; villas higher
North tip
Nungwi & Kendwa
The island's best-known resort strip. Unlike much of the east coast, these beaches stay swimmable at all tides, and the sunsets over the water draw visitors all year.
Best for
Holiday homes, investors focused on occupancy
Feel
Busy, resort-focused
Rental demand
High tourist footfall year-round
Watch out for
More development and higher prices; can feel crowded
Typical prices
One-bedroom off-plan USD $88,400; completed coastal vary widely
Northeast coast
Kiwengwa
A calmer stretch of the northeast coast, lined with established resorts and newer villa and apartment projects. Space and quiet are the draw here.
Best for
Families, retirees, buyers who want calm
Feel
Peaceful, spread out
Rental demand
Resort guests and longer stays
Watch out for
Fewer restaurantsÂ
Typical prices
Two-bedroom villas USD $184,000
West coast, near Stone Town
Fumba
A planned new town built for people who live on the island, not just visit. It's close to Stone Town and the airport, with homes designed for year-round living.
Best for
Buyers seeking residency, families, remote workers, first-time buyers
Feel
Suburban, community-focused
Rental demand
Long-term residents and mid-term lets
Watch out for
Not a classic beach-holiday location
Typical prices
Apartments USD $115,000; townhouses $165,000; villas higher
West coast
Stone Town
The historic heart of Zanzibar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site: restored merchant houses, carved doors, markets and the island's commercial center.
Best for
Culture lovers, boutique-hotel investors, buyers who want city life
Feel
Historic, vibrant, urban
Rental demand
Boutique stays and cultural travelers
Watch out for
Heritage rules limit renovations; few modern units
Typical prices
Varies widely by property type
HOW TO CHOOSE
Start with why you're buying
To rent it out
Follow the visitors. Areas with steady tousism and a long season keep occupancy up, but competition and prices are higher.
Look at: Nungwi & Kendwa, Paje
To live in, part or full time
Think about daily life: shops, schools, healthcare and how often you'll travel. Being near Stone Town and the airport helps.
Look at: Fumba, Stone Town, Kiwengwa
For residency
The Class C-11 residence permit requires a qualifying property in an approved project worth USD 100,000 or more.
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Look at: approved projects in any area