Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulawayo and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $763 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
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Bulawayo Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$763

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bulawayo and in Dubai

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

A single person spends $763 per month in Bulawayo vs $2,854 in Dubai, rent included.

Bulawayo $763
Dubai $2,854

A couple spends around $1,192 per month in Bulawayo vs $4,321 in Dubai, rent included.

Bulawayo $1,192
Dubai $4,321

A family of three spends $1,622 per month in Bulawayo vs $5,788 in Dubai, rent included.

Bulawayo $1,622
Dubai $5,788

Bulawayo is about 73% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bulawayo sits 43% below the global median, while Dubai is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ZWL 122

$13.04 AED 47.89

-64.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ZWL 809

$81.4 AED 299

-62.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$9.32 AED 34.25

-47.53%

Cappuccino

$2.09 ZWL 55.9

$5.97 AED 21.93

-64.99%

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

$0.52 ZWL 13.86

$1.63 AED 5.98

-68.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ZWL 9.85

$0.81 AED 2.99

-54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ZWL 39.14

$13.65 AED 50.1

-89.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ZWL 54.2

$13.38 AED 49.15

-84.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ZWL 44.28

$1.81 AED 6.64

-8.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZWL 27.05

$1.57 AED 5.78

-35.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.32

$2.49 AED 9.16

-37.75%

Eggs

$1.91 ZWL 50.9

$3.28 AED 12.04

-41.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 ZWL 256

$12.67 AED 46.52

-24.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 ZWL 107

$9.75 AED 35.80

-58.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.46 ZWL 119

$13.18 AED 48.39

-66.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ZWL 49.29

$2.61 AED 9.57

-29.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ZWL 42.68

$1.93 AED 7.09

-17.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ZWL 64.8

$1.92 AED 7.05

26.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ZWL 27.89

$1.36 AED 5.00

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ZWL 34.19

$1.17 AED 4.29

9.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ZWL 37.02

$1.01 AED 3.71

37.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZWL 29.29

$1.51 AED 5.56

-27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZWL 19.93

$0.62 AED 2.29

20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 ZWL 41.04

$5.85 AED 21.50

-73.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 ZWL 136

$16.14 AED 59.3

-68.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ZWL 36.15

$2.65 AED 9.74

-49.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ZWL 49.48

$2.95 AED 10.82

-37.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ZWL 20.65

$1.64 AED 6.03

-53.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 ZWL 816

$73.6 AED 270

-58.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 ZWL 78.6

$3.17 AED 11.66

-7.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

$0.71 AED 2.63

174.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ZWL 135

$7.96 AED 29.23

-36.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 ZWL 43.75

$0.99 AED 3.64

65.66%

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

$24.6K ZWL 656.4K

$27.4K AED 100.5K

-10.22%

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

$24.6K ZWL 657.7K

$22.5K AED 82.8K

9.24%

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

$95.3 ZWL 2,547

$250 AED 920

-61.92%

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

$17.21 ZWL 460

$54.2 AED 199

-68.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 ZWL 2,816

$91.8 AED 337

14.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.62 ZWL 845

$98.6 AED 362

-67.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.07 ZWL 536

$42.61 AED 156

-52.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 ZWL 263

$16.03 AED 58.9

-38.49%

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

$231 ZWL 6,175

$843 AED 3,098

-72.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,512 ZWL 93.8K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-80.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.96 ZWL 560

$68.0 AED 250

-69.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.58 ZWL 309

$57.9 AED 212

-79.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.58 ZWL 1,217

$101 AED 370

-54.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ZWL 1,548

$101 AED 371

-42.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 ZWL 4,695

$2,380 AED 8,741

-92.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ZWL 2,863

$1,506 AED 5,531

-92.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ZWL 11.1K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-90.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ZWL 8,679

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-89.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 ZWL 54.8K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-71.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,046 ZWL 54.7K

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-50.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$306 ZWL 8,161

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-90.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

230.40%

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

Last update for Bulawayo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bulawayo

$218 29%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 81.9% $178

Groceries & Markets

Bulawayo

$177 23.5%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 65.3% $116

Accommodation & Living

Bulawayo

$107 14.2%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 1305% $1.4K

Eating Out

Bulawayo

$91 12.1%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 238% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Bulawayo

$61 8.1%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 141% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Bulawayo

$51 6.8%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 155% $79

Getting Around

Bulawayo

$46 6.2%

Dubai

$87 3% 87.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $176 in Bulawayo versus $2,380 in Dubai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1010% higher in Dubai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bulawayo versus $81.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $293 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

2 h ahead of Bulawayo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

653,337

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.74 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 26.71 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.74 USD). 1 EUR = 29.96 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bulawayo Dubai 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bulawayo
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dubai is pricier by about 274%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,144 per month in Bulawayo and $4,281 in Dubai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $763 in Bulawayo and $2,854 in Dubai. That's a gap of about 274%.

Public transport costs about 141% less in Bulawayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bulawayo, where all-in costs run around $763, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Bulawayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulawayo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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