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 $2,184 per month in Australia vs $492 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $820 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $1,147 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

Australia costs about 344% more than Zimbabwe on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.73

$7.11 ZWL 180

128.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$49.33 ZWL 1,248

56.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$6.01 ZWL 152

63.23%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$2.78 ZWL 70.2

28.78%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$0.67 ZWL 16.91

283.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$0.49 ZWL 12.45

344.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$1.52 ZWL 38.53

336.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$2.03 ZWL 51.5

250.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.52 ZWL 38.45

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$1.02 ZWL 25.87

148.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$1.85 ZWL 46.81

11.89%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$2.09 ZWL 52.9

105.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$10.17 ZWL 257

-14.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$5.80 ZWL 147

43.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$5.63 ZWL 142

146.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$2.61 ZWL 66.0

26.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$1.78 ZWL 45.12

55.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$2.14 ZWL 54.1

37.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$1.61 ZWL 40.75

160.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$1.56 ZWL 39.56

55.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$1.81 ZWL 45.91

16.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$1.09 ZWL 27.64

107.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.08 ZWL 27.26

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$1.37 ZWL 34.63

2205.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$7.03 ZWL 178

103.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$1.17 ZWL 29.63

292.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$1.78 ZWL 45.08

170.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$0.98 ZWL 24.88

208.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$29.99 ZWL 759

227.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$5.14 ZWL 130

-32.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$1.99 ZWL 50.3

-12.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$5.05 ZWL 128

651.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.62 ZWL 41.09

-25.31%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$23.6K ZWL 596.2K

23.21%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$23.9K ZWL 605.5K

-5.72%

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

$177 A$248

$52.7 ZWL 1,333

236.53%

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

$26.85 A$37.59

$17.48 ZWL 442

53.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$91.9 ZWL 2,324

-42.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$46.25 ZWL 1,170

2.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$10.80 ZWL 273

52.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$9.89 ZWL 250

38.83%

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

$1,593 A$2,231

$226 ZWL 5,719

604.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$8,114 ZWL 205.3K

56.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$18.88 ZWL 478

281.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$19.12 ZWL 484

168.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$37.77 ZWL 956

172.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$42.46 ZWL 1,074

155.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$337 ZWL 8,521

315.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$228 ZWL 5,769

373.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$810 ZWL 20.5K

188.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$550 ZWL 13.9K

219.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$845 ZWL 21.4K

814.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$386 ZWL 9,756

1342.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$342 ZWL 8,650

1069.91%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $104 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $393 in Harare.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $356 in Zimbabwe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1085% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 133% more in Australia.

Public transport is 644% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 989% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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.