Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Harare

For one person, living is cheaper in Harare: $1,025 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Harare
Learn more

Harare Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Harare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$1,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Harare

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Harare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,025 in Harare.

Austin, TX $2,704
Harare $1,025

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,682 in Harare.

Austin, TX $4,133
Harare $1,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,339 in Harare.

Austin, TX $5,562
Harare $2,339

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 164% more expensive than in Harare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Harare is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$10.12 ZWL 270

99.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$45.29 ZWL 1,210

87.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.60 ZWL 150

120.54%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.01 ZWL 80.4

81.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$0.97 ZWL 26.04

293.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.45 ZWL 12.07

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.22 ZWL 32.56

560.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.95 ZWL 52.2

361.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.47 ZWL 39.29

-23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.02 ZWL 27.29

270.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.71 ZWL 45.80

90.06%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.98 ZWL 52.8

109.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.40 ZWL 304

14.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.53 ZWL 148

158.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.42 ZWL 171

148.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.07 ZWL 82.1

42.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.70 ZWL 45.29

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.08 ZWL 55.4

118.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.51 ZWL 40.45

177.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.75 ZWL 46.67

50.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.78 ZWL 47.51

32.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.22 ZWL 32.72

44.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.94 ZWL 25.02

129.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

403.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.37 ZWL 224

75.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.38 ZWL 36.81

101.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.98 ZWL 52.8

75.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.01 ZWL 27.10

47.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$59.1 ZWL 1,578

-31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.12 ZWL 110

-35.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.05 ZWL 54.8

-22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$5.06 ZWL 135

597.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.84 ZWL 49.04

-46.20%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.6K ZWL 576.3K

65.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$27.6K ZWL 736.2K

-1.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$52.2 ZWL 1,394

320.22%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$21.85 ZWL 583

165.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$68.0 ZWL 1,817

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$48.13 ZWL 1,286

20.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$22.78 ZWL 609

-34.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.88 ZWL 264

43.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$428 ZWL 11.4K

252.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,427 ZWL 225.1K

154.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$23.65 ZWL 632

118.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$21.26 ZWL 568

107.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$38.85 ZWL 1,038

119.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$39.60 ZWL 1,058

165.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$389 ZWL 10.4K

397.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$316 ZWL 8,435

302.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$838 ZWL 22.4K

338.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$755 ZWL 20.2K

234.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$913 ZWL 24.4K

734.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$388 ZWL 10.4K

725.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$421 ZWL 11.3K

1111.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

13.69

-50.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Harare: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Harare

$316 30.9% 75.2% $957

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Harare

$215 21% 46.7% $188

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Harare

$150 14.6% 57% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Harare

$142 13.9% 58.9% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Harare

$56 5.4% 56.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Harare

$68 6.6% 21.2% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Harare

$78 7.6% 36% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $389 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1112% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $45.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $215 per month, with Harare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇼 Harare

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

07:45 7:45 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,606,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.74 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 26.71 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.74 USD). 1 EUR = 29.96 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

ZWL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Harare 14,680 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Harare

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare wins on cost – living expenses run 164% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Harare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1112% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $389 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,025 in Harare – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Harare runs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,025 in Harare versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.