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 $493 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $824 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $1,154 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

Australia costs about 343% more than 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

$16.24 A$22.97

$7.06 ZWL 188

130.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$49.43 ZWL 1,319

60.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$13.97

$5.91 ZWL 158

67.17%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.05

$2.68 ZWL 71.6

33.21%

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

$2.59 A$3.67

$0.71 ZWL 19.04

264.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.03

$0.45 ZWL 12.11

375.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.11

$1.54 ZWL 41.15

318.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.89

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

240.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.15

$1.57 ZWL 41.98

-3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.50

$1.01 ZWL 26.97

145.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.97

$1.91 ZWL 50.9

9.95%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.02

$2.13 ZWL 56.9

99.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.79

$10.44 ZWL 279

-13.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.22

$5.63 ZWL 150

53.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$19.89

$5.81 ZWL 155

142.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.65

$2.70 ZWL 72.1

21.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.97

$1.74 ZWL 46.52

60.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.02

$2.06 ZWL 55.1

37.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.25

$1.57 ZWL 41.84

181.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$1.59 ZWL 42.39

55.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$1.82 ZWL 48.56

18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.21

$1.09 ZWL 29.06

108.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.13

$1.08 ZWL 28.71

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$43.71

$1.38 ZWL 36.81

2138.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.78

$7.15 ZWL 191

95.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.26

$1.19 ZWL 31.74

271.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.86

$1.82 ZWL 48.52

166.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.12

$0.98 ZWL 26.04

196.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$137

$29.97 ZWL 800

222.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.21

$5.15 ZWL 137

-28.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.48

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

-10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.0

$5.08 ZWL 136

651.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.56 ZWL 41.53

-26.28%

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

$29.2K A$41.3K

$23.7K ZWL 633.3K

23.13%

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

$22.4K A$31.7K

$24.6K ZWL 657.4K

-9.09%

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

$178 A$252

$54.7 ZWL 1,459

225.53%

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

$26.86 A$38.00

$17.41 ZWL 465

54.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$74.6

$90.0 ZWL 2,402

-41.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.1

$46.81 ZWL 1,249

-0.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.40

$10.95 ZWL 292

51.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.25

$10.02 ZWL 268

35.83%

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

$1,612 A$2,281

$218 ZWL 5,825

638.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.7K

$8,312 ZWL 221.8K

50.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$99.8

$18.38 ZWL 490

283.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$72.4

$19.33 ZWL 516

164.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$146

$37.74 ZWL 1,007

173.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$155

$42.95 ZWL 1,146

154.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,973

$334 ZWL 8,910

317.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,529

$225 ZWL 5,997

380.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,209

$799 ZWL 21.3K

183.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,461

$548 ZWL 14.6K

217.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.5K

$842 ZWL 22.5K

784.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$7,963

$387 ZWL 10.3K

1353.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,653

$341 ZWL 9,093

1072.85%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $105 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $398 in Harare.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $354 in Zimbabwe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1073% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 141% more in Australia.

Public transport is 644% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 988% 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 333% 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 333% 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.