Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Zimbabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Zimbabwe

Name: Zimbabwe
Address: ZW

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Australia vs $492 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $822 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $1,151 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 343% higher than in Zimbabwe on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Zimbabwe is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.66

$6.91 ZWL 184

131.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$49.57 ZWL 1,322

59.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.74

$5.83 ZWL 156

66.04%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.08

$2.77 ZWL 73.8

29.24%

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

$2.56 A$3.64

$0.68 ZWL 18.19

276.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$0.49 ZWL 13.03

353.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.99

$1.54 ZWL 41.19

311.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.86

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

256.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.52 ZWL 40.60

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.02 ZWL 27.20

148.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.83

$1.89 ZWL 50.5

5.82%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.05

$2.07 ZWL 55.3

105.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.42

$10.36 ZWL 276

-15.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.68

$5.57 ZWL 148

47.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.08

$5.61 ZWL 150

152.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$2.70 ZWL 72.0

20.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.73 ZWL 46.10

62.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$2.09 ZWL 55.8

43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$1.54 ZWL 41.12

179.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$1.52 ZWL 40.52

67.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.81 ZWL 48.30

19.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.06 ZWL 28.28

109.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.17

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.38

$1.39 ZWL 37.08

2150.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.00

$7.17 ZWL 191

96.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.30

$1.18 ZWL 31.36

276.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.96

$1.72 ZWL 45.88

184.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.19

$0.99 ZWL 26.36

197.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$136

$29.84 ZWL 796

221.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.95

$5.13 ZWL 137

-31.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.61

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

-6.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$52.9

$5.04 ZWL 134

639.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.66

$1.54 ZWL 41.18

-24.03%

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

$28.7K A$40.8K

$23.6K ZWL 628.3K

22.02%

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

$22.5K A$31.9K

$24.2K ZWL 644.9K

-7.07%

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

$173 A$246

$53.6 ZWL 1,431

223.31%

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

$26.62 A$37.77

$17.35 ZWL 463

53.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$75.3

$92.5 ZWL 2,467

-42.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$66.4

$46.26 ZWL 1,234

1.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.25

$10.76 ZWL 287

52.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.24

$10.13 ZWL 270

33.86%

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

$1,571 A$2,229

$219 ZWL 5,839

617.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$17.9K

$8,185 ZWL 218.4K

53.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$102

$18.74 ZWL 500

284.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$73.2

$19.04 ZWL 508

171.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$36.68 ZWL 979

175.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$42.47 ZWL 1,133

154.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,984

$329 ZWL 8,777

324.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,541

$230 ZWL 6,125

372.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,223

$802 ZWL 21.4K

183.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,485

$537 ZWL 14.3K

225.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.3K

$900 ZWL 24.0K

783.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,483

$388 ZWL 10.3K

1441.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,751

$336 ZWL 8,975

1104.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

13.5

-52.96%

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

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $105 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $405 in Harare.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $358 in Zimbabwe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1071% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 141% more in Australia.

Public transport is 738% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 964% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 339% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Zimbabwe, contributing to the overall 339% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zimbabwe, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Zimbabwe is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.