Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $747 a month against $908 in Victoria Falls, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
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Bulawayo Living Index

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Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$747

/mo nomad

Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bulawayo and in Victoria Falls

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

A single person spends $747 per month in Bulawayo vs $908 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Bulawayo $747
Victoria Falls $908

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Bulawayo vs $1,479 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Bulawayo $1,194
Victoria Falls $1,479

A family of three spends $1,642 per month in Bulawayo vs $2,051 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Bulawayo $1,642
Victoria Falls $2,051

Bulawayo is about 18% cheaper than Victoria Falls, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bulawayo and Victoria Falls are more affordable than the global median – Bulawayo 45% lower, Victoria Falls 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ZWL 116

$10.16 ZWL 270

-56.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 ZWL 795

$45.27 ZWL 1,203

-33.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ZWL 136

Cappuccino

$2.14 ZWL 56.8

$5.87 ZWL 156

-63.54%

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

$0.52 ZWL 13.79

$0.98 ZWL 26.03

-46.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ZWL 9.59

$0.51 ZWL 13.59

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ZWL 38.92

$4.92 ZWL 131

-70.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ZWL 43.27

$2.04 ZWL 54.1

-20.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ZWL 26.05

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

-4.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.16

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

-20.92%

Eggs

$1.86 ZWL 49.36

$3.54 ZWL 94.2

-47.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ZWL 250

$2.47 ZWL 65.7

281.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 ZWL 102

$6.11 ZWL 162

-37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.60 ZWL 122

$7.93 ZWL 211

-41.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ZWL 47.79

$3.01 ZWL 80.0

-40.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.15

$2.99 ZWL 79.3

-48.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ZWL 63.8

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

-19.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ZWL 27.65

$3.88 ZWL 103

-73.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 ZWL 33.50

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ZWL 38.16

$2.01 ZWL 53.5

-28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ZWL 29.27

$1.99 ZWL 52.8

-44.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ZWL 20.45

$1.54 ZWL 40.97

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ZWL 40.16

$3.49 ZWL 92.7

-56.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ZWL 133

$20.32 ZWL 540

-75.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ZWL 36.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ZWL 48.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ZWL 19.06

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

-63.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.51 ZWL 784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ZWL 81.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

$0.99 ZWL 26.26

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 134

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 ZWL 44.95

$1.83 ZWL 48.72

-7.65%

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

$25.1K ZWL 667.3K

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

$25.4K ZWL 674.8K

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

$93.0 ZWL 2,472

$25.48 ZWL 677

265.15%

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

$17.52 ZWL 466

$24.62 ZWL 654

-28.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 ZWL 2,831

$68.4 ZWL 1,816

55.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.99 ZWL 823

$59.7 ZWL 1,585

-48.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.38 ZWL 542

$15.03 ZWL 399

35.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 ZWL 268

$20.10 ZWL 534

-49.80%

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

$228 ZWL 6,051

$101 ZWL 2,697

124.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,484 ZWL 92.6K

$5,959 ZWL 158.3K

-41.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.95 ZWL 557

$14.75 ZWL 392

42.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.80 ZWL 314

$25.41 ZWL 675

-53.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.98 ZWL 1,248

$60.7 ZWL 1,612

-22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ZWL 1,536

$45.84 ZWL 1,218

26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 ZWL 4,573

$250 ZWL 6,654

-31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 ZWL 2,803

$178 ZWL 4,738

-40.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 ZWL 10.8K

$491 ZWL 13.0K

-17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ZWL 8,574

$348 ZWL 9,258

-7.39%

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 8,056

$808 ZWL 21.5K

-62.49%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Victoria Falls: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bulawayo

$217 29.1%

Victoria Falls

–

Groceries & Markets

Bulawayo

$175 23.4%

Victoria Falls

–

Accommodation & Living

Bulawayo

$106 14.1%

Victoria Falls

–

Eating Out

Bulawayo

$91 12.2%

Victoria Falls

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bulawayo

$62 8.3%

Victoria Falls

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bulawayo

$51 6.9%

Victoria Falls

–

Getting Around

Bulawayo

$45 6.1%

Victoria Falls

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $172 in Bulawayo versus $250 in Victoria Falls. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Victoria Falls are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Bulawayo versus $45 in Victoria Falls. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $250 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

Same time as Bulawayo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

653,337

35,215

💱 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

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Between locations

Bulawayo Victoria Falls 380 km

From you

Bulawayo
Victoria Falls

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 Victoria Falls: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Victoria Falls is pricier by about 22%, 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 $1,361 in Victoria Falls. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $250 in Victoria Falls.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $747 in Bulawayo and $908 in Victoria Falls. That makes Bulawayo about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $228 per month in Bulawayo and $101 in Victoria Falls. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $747 in Bulawayo and $908 in Victoria Falls, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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