In short
Moshi is the town most Kilimanjaro ascents leave from — Africa's highest peak and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. The summit is reached without technical gear, in five to nine days.
It is also a base for the northern safari circuit: Arusha, the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti lie to the west.
What it really costs
The climb is the single item and it is expensive: the compulsory park fee, charged per day, alone accounts for a large share of the price. Guides and porters are required by regulation.
The rest of life in Moshi costs little: housing, local food and transport are cheap.
What nobody tells you
The success rate depends directly on the number of days chosen. Five-day itineraries fail far more often than seven- or eight-day ones: paying less often means not reaching the summit.
Acute mountain sickness is the real risk, not the cold or the technique. Ascending too fast is its single cause.
Tips to guides and porters are a major part of their income, are prepared in cash before departure and amount to a substantial sum, to be built into the budget from the start.