Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulawayo and Marondera

For one person, living costs are similar in Bulawayo and in Marondera: $747 and $765 a month, rent and utilities included.

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Marondera, Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$747
/mo nomad
Marondera
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$765
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bulawayo and in Marondera

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

A single person spends $747 per month in Bulawayo vs $765 in Marondera, rent included.

  • Bulawayo $747
  • Marondera $765

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Bulawayo vs $1,164 in Marondera, rent included.

  • Bulawayo $1,194
  • Marondera $1,164

A family of three spends $1,642 per month in Bulawayo vs $1,562 in Marondera, rent included.

  • Bulawayo $1,642
  • Marondera $1,562

Bulawayo and Marondera have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Bulawayo and Marondera are more affordable than the global median – Bulawayo 45% lower, Marondera 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.37 ZWL 116
$5.10 ZWL 136
-14.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.90 ZWL 795
$45.37 ZWL 1,206
-34.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.10 ZWL 136
$5.88 ZWL 156
-13.27%
Cappuccino
$2.14 ZWL 56.8
$2.02 ZWL 53.8
5.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ZWL 13.79
$0.92 ZWL 24.49
-43.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 ZWL 9.59
$0.45 ZWL 11.89
-20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.46 ZWL 38.92
$1.01 ZWL 26.97
44.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 ZWL 52.3
$2.01 ZWL 53.4
-1.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 ZWL 43.27
$1.02 ZWL 26.98
59.80%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 ZWL 26.05
$1.01 ZWL 26.88
-2.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.55 ZWL 41.16
$0.99 ZWL 26.18
56.57%
Eggs
$1.86 ZWL 49.36
$1.88 ZWL 50.0
-1.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 ZWL 250
$10.15 ZWL 270
-7.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.82 ZWL 102
$4.91 ZWL 130
-22.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.60 ZWL 122
$5.07 ZWL 135
-9.27%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ZWL 47.79
$2.93 ZWL 77.9
-38.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 ZWL 41.15
$1.66 ZWL 44.10
-6.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.40 ZWL 63.8
$1.94 ZWL 51.6
23.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.04 ZWL 27.65
$1.58 ZWL 42.04
-34.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 ZWL 33.50
$1.76 ZWL 46.75
-28.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.44 ZWL 38.16
$1.80 ZWL 47.93
-20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ZWL 29.27
$1.25 ZWL 33.16
-12.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ZWL 20.45
$0.99 ZWL 26.20
-22.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.51 ZWL 40.16
$1.96 ZWL 52.2
-22.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.02 ZWL 133
$4.08 ZWL 108
23.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 ZWL 36.09
$1.34 ZWL 35.60
1.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 ZWL 48.67
$1.92 ZWL 51.1
-4.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.72 ZWL 19.06
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.51 ZWL 784
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 ZWL 81.2
$3.98 ZWL 106
-23.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 ZWL 52.6
$2.02 ZWL 53.7
-1.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.03 ZWL 134
$4.95 ZWL 131
1.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.69 ZWL 44.95
$1.79 ZWL 47.46
-5.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.1K ZWL 667.3K
$21.8K ZWL 580.4K
14.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K ZWL 674.8K
$27.4K ZWL 728.9K
-7.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.0 ZWL 2,472
$50.4 ZWL 1,339
84.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.52 ZWL 466
$21.89 ZWL 582
-19.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$107 ZWL 2,831
$68.7 ZWL 1,826
55.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.99 ZWL 823
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.38 ZWL 542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.09 ZWL 268
$9.89 ZWL 263
2.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$228 ZWL 6,051
$449 ZWL 11.9K
-49.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,484 ZWL 92.6K
$8,545 ZWL 227.0K
-59.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.95 ZWL 557
$22.84 ZWL 607
-8.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$11.80 ZWL 314
$21.37 ZWL 568
-44.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.98 ZWL 1,248
$38.52 ZWL 1,023
21.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.8 ZWL 1,536
$40.14 ZWL 1,066
44.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$172 ZWL 4,573
$247 ZWL 6,572
-30.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$106 ZWL 2,803
$251 ZWL 6,666
-57.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$406 ZWL 10.8K
$401 ZWL 10.7K
1.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$323 ZWL 8,574
$354 ZWL 9,401
-8.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,061 ZWL 54.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,031 ZWL 54.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bulawayo
Marondera
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$303 ZWL 8,056
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15
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 Marondera: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bulawayo
$217
Marondera
$141 35.1% $76
Groceries & Markets
Bulawayo
$175
Marondera
$187 6.8% $12
Accommodation & Living
Bulawayo
$106
Marondera
$251 138% $145
Eating Out
Bulawayo
$91
Marondera
$97 7.3% $6.6
Clothing & Footwear
Bulawayo
$62
Marondera
$55 10.7% $6.6
Sport & Entertainment
Bulawayo
$51
Marondera
$20 * 61.3% $31
Getting Around
Bulawayo
$45
Marondera
$14 * 68.9% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $172 in Bulawayo versus $247 in Marondera. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Bulawayo versus $45 in Marondera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $187 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇼 Bulawayo
🇿🇼 Marondera
🕒 Local time
10:17 10:17 AM
10:17 10:17 AM
Same time as Bulawayo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
653,337
52,283
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.65 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bulawayo Marondera 380 km
From you
  • Bulawayo
  • Marondera

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 Marondera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,120 per month in Bulawayo and $1,148 in Marondera. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $247 in Marondera.
Is eating out cheaper in Bulawayo or in Marondera?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Bulawayo and $45 in Marondera. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $228 per month in Bulawayo and $449 in Marondera. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Bulawayo or Marondera?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $747 in Bulawayo and $765 in Marondera, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Bulawayo or Marondera more family-friendly?
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.

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