Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulawayo and Kariba

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Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
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Bulawayo Living Index

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Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$763

/mo nomad

Kariba

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ZWL 122

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ZWL 808

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ZWL 131

Cappuccino

$2.09 ZWL 55.9

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

$0.52 ZWL 13.85

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ZWL 9.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ZWL 39.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ZWL 54.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ZWL 44.24

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZWL 27.03

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.29

Eggs

$1.91 ZWL 50.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 ZWL 256

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 ZWL 107

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.46 ZWL 119

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ZWL 49.25

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ZWL 42.65

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ZWL 64.7

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ZWL 27.87

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ZWL 34.16

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ZWL 37.00

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZWL 29.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ZWL 19.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 ZWL 41.01

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 ZWL 136

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ZWL 36.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ZWL 49.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ZWL 20.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 ZWL 815

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 ZWL 78.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ZWL 135

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 ZWL 43.72

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

$24.6K ZWL 655.9K

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

$24.6K ZWL 657.2K

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

$95.3 ZWL 2,545

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

$17.21 ZWL 459

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 ZWL 2,814

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.62 ZWL 844

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.07 ZWL 536

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 ZWL 263

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

$231 ZWL 6,170

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,512 ZWL 93.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.96 ZWL 559

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.58 ZWL 309

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.58 ZWL 1,217

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 ZWL 4,692

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ZWL 2,861

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ZWL 11.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ZWL 8,672

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 ZWL 54.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,046 ZWL 54.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$306 ZWL 8,155

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Bulawayo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kariba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bulawayo

$218 29%

Kariba

–

Groceries & Markets

Bulawayo

$177 23.5%

Kariba

–

Accommodation & Living

Bulawayo

$107 14.2%

Kariba

–

Eating Out

Bulawayo

$91 12.1%

Kariba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bulawayo

$61 8.1%

Kariba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bulawayo

$51 6.8%

Kariba

–

Getting Around

Bulawayo

$46 6.2%

Kariba

–

Good to know

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Kariba

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

Same time as Bulawayo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

653,337

24,210

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.75 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.75 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bulawayo Kariba 400 km

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Kariba

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 Kariba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Kariba – 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 Kariba. 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.