Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulawayo and Chinhoyi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chinhoyi: $638 a month against $747 in Bulawayo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Bulawayo despite lower rent and utilities.

36

Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
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Bulawayo Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Chinhoyi
Learn more

Chinhoyi Living Index

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Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$747

/mo nomad

Chinhoyi

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bulawayo and in Chinhoyi

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

A single person spends $747 per month in Bulawayo vs $638 in Chinhoyi, rent included.

Bulawayo $747
Chinhoyi $638

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Bulawayo vs $1,012 in Chinhoyi, rent included.

Bulawayo $1,194
Chinhoyi $1,012

A family of three spends $1,642 per month in Bulawayo vs $1,386 in Chinhoyi, rent included.

Bulawayo $1,642
Chinhoyi $1,386

Bulawayo costs about 17% more than Chinhoyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bulawayo and Chinhoyi are more affordable than the global median – Bulawayo 45% lower, Chinhoyi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ZWL 116

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

124.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 ZWL 795

$45.50 ZWL 1,209

-34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ZWL 136

$4.59 ZWL 122

11.11%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ZWL 56.8

$1.02 ZWL 27.08

109.80%

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

$0.52 ZWL 13.80

$0.31 ZWL 8.37

67.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ZWL 9.60

$0.26 ZWL 6.92

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ZWL 38.93

$1.02 ZWL 27.22

43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

$2.04 ZWL 54.1

-3.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ZWL 43.28

$1.52 ZWL 40.29

7.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

$0.87 ZWL 23.13

12.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.18

$1.69 ZWL 44.83

-8.28%

Eggs

$1.86 ZWL 49.38

$1.91 ZWL 50.8

-2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ZWL 250

$11.51 ZWL 306

-18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 ZWL 102

$2.95 ZWL 78.4

29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.60 ZWL 122

$3.95 ZWL 105

16.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ZWL 47.80

$0.98 ZWL 26.13

83.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.16

$1.03 ZWL 27.29

50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ZWL 63.8

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

144.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ZWL 27.66

$0.99 ZWL 26.27

5.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 ZWL 33.51

$0.97 ZWL 25.88

29.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ZWL 38.17

$1.02 ZWL 27.23

41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZWL 29.28

$0.48 ZWL 12.67

129.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ZWL 20.45

$0.77 ZWL 20.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ZWL 40.18

$2.01 ZWL 53.5

-24.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ZWL 134

$6.90 ZWL 183

-27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ZWL 36.11

$0.49 ZWL 12.91

177.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ZWL 48.69

$0.98 ZWL 25.95

86.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ZWL 19.07

$0.98 ZWL 25.99

-26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.51 ZWL 784

$29.86 ZWL 794

-1.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ZWL 81.2

$4.06 ZWL 108

-24.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 134

$4.89 ZWL 130

2.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 ZWL 44.97

$1.41 ZWL 37.42

19.86%

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

$25.1K ZWL 667.6K

$22.4K ZWL 595.8K

12.05%

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

$25.4K ZWL 675.1K

$27.1K ZWL 721.5K

-6.43%

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

$93.0 ZWL 2,473

$39.29 ZWL 1,044

136.80%

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

$17.52 ZWL 466

$19.97 ZWL 531

-12.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 ZWL 2,832

$68.7 ZWL 1,825

55.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.99 ZWL 824

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.38 ZWL 542

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 ZWL 268

$9.81 ZWL 261

2.85%

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

$228 ZWL 6,053

$439 ZWL 11.7K

-48.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,484 ZWL 92.6K

$8,539 ZWL 227.0K

-59.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.95 ZWL 557

$23.63 ZWL 628

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.80 ZWL 314

$21.29 ZWL 566

-44.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.98 ZWL 1,249

$38.73 ZWL 1,029

21.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ZWL 1,536

$41.14 ZWL 1,093

40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 ZWL 4,574

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 ZWL 2,804

$180 ZWL 4,782

-41.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 ZWL 10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ZWL 8,577

$295 ZWL 7,838

9.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,061 ZWL 54.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,031 ZWL 54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 ZWL 8,059

$203 ZWL 5,388

49.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

9.57%

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

Last update for Bulawayo: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chinhoyi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bulawayo

$217 29.1%

Chinhoyi

$128 20.1% 41.1% $89

Groceries & Markets

Bulawayo

$175 23.4%

Chinhoyi

$154 24.1% 12.1% $21

Accommodation & Living

Bulawayo

$106 14.1%

Chinhoyi

$180 28.2% 70.5% $74

Eating Out

Bulawayo

$91 12.2%

Chinhoyi

$53 8.3% 41.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Bulawayo

$62 8.3%

Chinhoyi

$56 8.8% 9.3% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Bulawayo

$51 6.9%

Chinhoyi

$20 * 3.1% 61.7% $32

Getting Around

Bulawayo

$45 6.1%

Chinhoyi

$48 7.5% 5.1% $2.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 50% higher in Bulawayo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Bulawayo versus $46 in Chinhoyi. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Bulawayo vs $154 in Chinhoyi – so Chinhoyi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Chinhoyi

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

Same time as Bulawayo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

653,337

56,794

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bulawayo Chinhoyi 350 km

From you

Bulawayo
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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

Bulawayo vs Chinhoyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bulawayo is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,120 per month in Bulawayo and $957 in Chinhoyi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $747 in Bulawayo and $638 in Chinhoyi. That’s a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $228 per month in Bulawayo and $439 in Chinhoyi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $747 in Bulawayo and $638 in Chinhoyi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Chinhoyi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bulawayo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.