Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mutare

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $789 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
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Mutare Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mutare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $789 in Mutare.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mutare $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,220 in Mutare.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mutare $1,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,651 in Mutare.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mutare $1,651

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 238% more expensive than in Mutare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Mutare is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.15 ZWL 270

104.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$45.07 ZWL 1,199

87.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.42 ZWL 118

178.73%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.28 ZWL 34.07

339.84%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.73 ZWL 19.54

409.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.46 ZWL 12.11

443.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.22 ZWL 32.33

559.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.78 ZWL 47.47

406.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 ZWL 32.42

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.98 ZWL 26.14

282.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.33 ZWL 35.28

145.11%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.87 ZWL 49.72

122.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$2.92 ZWL 77.8

341.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.04 ZWL 107

250.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$5.01 ZWL 133

223.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.04 ZWL 54.3

112.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.70 ZWL 45.15

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

120.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.98 ZWL 26.18

342.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.75 ZWL 46.52

47.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.99 ZWL 26.33

137.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.48 ZWL 12.83

270.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.99 ZWL 26.41

124.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

737.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.09 ZWL 162

147.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

147.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.73 ZWL 45.96

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.77 ZWL 20.48

93.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$26.46 ZWL 704

57.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.02 ZWL 80.3

-9.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

-16.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.94 ZWL 131

614.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.86 ZWL 49.42

-48.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ZWL 575.1K

66.79%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.6K ZWL 629.3K

14.49%

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

$229 $229

$50.7 ZWL 1,349

351.57%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$14.72 ZWL 392

303.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$59.4 ZWL 1,580

17.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.95 ZWL 1,063

43.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$5.05 ZWL 134

223.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.89 ZWL 263

44.39%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$150 ZWL 4,002

901.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,553 ZWL 227.6K

150.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$10.06 ZWL 268

424.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$9.48 ZWL 252

362.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$24.80 ZWL 660

241.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$20.27 ZWL 539

408.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$356 ZWL 9,462

436.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$253 ZWL 6,742

402.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$750 ZWL 19.9K

388.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$395 ZWL 10.5K

541.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$246 ZWL 6,539

2998.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$247 ZWL 6,566

1975.21%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Mutare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mutare

$253 32.1% 80.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mutare

$155 19.6% 61.7% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mutare

$125 15.8% 65.2% $233

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mutare

$124 15.8% 64.9% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mutare

$29 3.7% 77.3% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mutare

$60 7.6% 30.4% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mutare

$42 5.4% 27.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $356 in Mutare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1975% 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 Mutare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $155 per month, with Mutare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇼 Mutare

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

02:21 2:21 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

188,243

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

ZWL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mutare 14,890 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mutare

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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mutare wins on cost – living expenses run 238% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mutare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1975% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $356 in Mutare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $789 in Mutare – a 238% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mutare runs roughly 58% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $789 in Mutare versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mutare but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mutare 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 Mutare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 238% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.