Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Zimbabwe

Name: Zimbabwe
Address: ZW

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimbabwe: $864 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Zimbabwe

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

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $864 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

Canada $2,310
Zimbabwe $864

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $1,423 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

Canada $3,356
Zimbabwe $1,423

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $1,981 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

Canada $4,403
Zimbabwe $1,981

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Zimbabwe ($579–$1,065), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 167% higher than in Zimbabwe on average.

Canada sits 70% above the global median, while Zimbabwe is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.39

$6.28 ZWL 167

189.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$99.5

$40.61 ZWL 1,079

75.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.11

$5.55 ZWL 147

94.77%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.28

$2.58 ZWL 68.6

46.51%

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

$2.11 CA$2.96

$0.74 ZWL 19.55

185.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$0.48 ZWL 12.74

245.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.85

$1.47 ZWL 39.04

282.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.00

$1.98 ZWL 52.5

188.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$1.49 ZWL 39.69

45.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$1.02 ZWL 27.22

154.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.11

$1.52 ZWL 40.46

140.13%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

92.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.04

$9.84 ZWL 261

9.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.63

$4.97 ZWL 132

139.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.56

$5.60 ZWL 149

175.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.63

$2.72 ZWL 72.3

48.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.73 ZWL 45.89

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.42

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

96.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.71

$1.36 ZWL 36.02

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$1.62 ZWL 42.97

58.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$1.56 ZWL 41.56

58.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$1.15 ZWL 30.54

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$0.99 ZWL 26.30

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.01

$2.05 ZWL 54.4

598.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 CA$18.85

$6.92 ZWL 184

94.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$1.24 ZWL 32.88

129.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.62

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

71.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

160.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 CA$101

$39.26 ZWL 1,043

83.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$2.92 ZWL 77.7

8.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

-21.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 CA$37.30

$5.04 ZWL 134

429.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.78 ZWL 47.24

-30.34%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$24.8K ZWL 659.1K

12.37%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$27.5K ZWL 729.4K

-23.25%

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

$147 CA$206

$51.2 ZWL 1,361

187.63%

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

$41.80 CA$58.4

$18.70 ZWL 497

123.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 CA$84.2

$70.0 ZWL 1,860

-13.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 CA$54.5

$42.11 ZWL 1,119

-7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 CA$26.64

$20.29 ZWL 539

-6.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.67

$10.07 ZWL 267

11.32%

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

$721 CA$1,008

$287 ZWL 7,613

151.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.7K

$7,672 ZWL 203.8K

93.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$77.3

$19.37 ZWL 515

185.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 CA$54.4

$17.62 ZWL 468

121.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 CA$122

$40.22 ZWL 1,069

117.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$42.91 ZWL 1,140

136.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,804

$299 ZWL 7,942

331.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,579

$241 ZWL 6,409

368.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 CA$2,846

$736 ZWL 19.6K

176.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,419

$557 ZWL 14.8K

210.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CA$6,665

$924 ZWL 24.6K

416.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,213

$397 ZWL 10.6K

838.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,290

$369 ZWL 9,804

731.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

13.77

-64.63%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

Zimbabwe

$241 27.9% 78.7% $889

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$371 16.1%

Zimbabwe

$197 22.8% 46.9% $174

Eating Out

Canada

$278 12%

Zimbabwe

$114 13.2% 58.9% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.8%

Zimbabwe

$140 16.2% 43.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

Zimbabwe

$54 6.3% 57.5% $73

Getting Around

Canada

$93 4%

Zimbabwe

$56 6.5% 39.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$61 2.7%

Zimbabwe

$62 7.2% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $240 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $399 in Harare.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $363 in Zimbabwe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 421% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 49% more in Canada.

Public transport is 83% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 8.2 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

14:27 2:27 PM

7 h ahead of Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

15,178,979

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.65 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada Zimbabwe 12,700 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
Zimbabwe

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

Canada vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 63% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $240 in Zimbabwe.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Zimbabwe – part of why living there is about 63% cheaper overall.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zimbabwe, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Zimbabwe is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.