Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chinhoyi and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chinhoyi: $638 a month against $747 in Bulawayo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Bulawayo despite lower rent and utilities.

Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Chinhoyi
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$638
/mo nomad
Bulawayo
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$747
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chinhoyi and in Bulawayo

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

A single person spends $638 per month in Chinhoyi vs $747 in Bulawayo, rent included.

  • Chinhoyi $638
  • Bulawayo $747

A couple spends around $1,012 per month in Chinhoyi vs $1,194 in Bulawayo, rent included.

  • Chinhoyi $1,012
  • Bulawayo $1,194

A family of three spends $1,386 per month in Chinhoyi vs $1,642 in Bulawayo, rent included.

  • Chinhoyi $1,386
  • Bulawayo $1,642

Chinhoyi is about 15% cheaper than Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chinhoyi and Bulawayo are more affordable than the global median – Chinhoyi 53% lower, Bulawayo 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.95 ZWL 52.0
$4.37 ZWL 116
-55.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.50 ZWL 1,209
$29.90 ZWL 795
52.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.59 ZWL 122
$5.10 ZWL 136
-10.00%
Cappuccino
$1.02 ZWL 27.08
$2.14 ZWL 56.8
-52.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ZWL 8.37
$0.52 ZWL 13.80
-40.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ZWL 6.92
$0.36 ZWL 9.60
-27.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.02 ZWL 27.22
$1.46 ZWL 38.93
-30.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 ZWL 54.1
$1.97 ZWL 52.4
3.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ZWL 40.29
$1.63 ZWL 43.28
-6.75%
White Bread (500g)
$0.87 ZWL 23.13
$0.98 ZWL 26.06
-11.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 ZWL 44.83
$1.55 ZWL 41.18
9.03%
Eggs
$1.91 ZWL 50.8
$1.86 ZWL 49.38
2.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.51 ZWL 306
$9.42 ZWL 250
22.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.95 ZWL 78.4
$3.82 ZWL 102
-22.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.95 ZWL 105
$4.60 ZWL 122
-14.13%
Apples (1kg)
$0.98 ZWL 26.13
$1.80 ZWL 47.80
-45.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ZWL 27.29
$1.55 ZWL 41.16
-33.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.98 ZWL 26.06
$2.40 ZWL 63.8
-59.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.99 ZWL 26.27
$1.04 ZWL 27.66
-4.81%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 ZWL 25.88
$1.26 ZWL 33.51
-23.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 ZWL 27.23
$1.44 ZWL 38.17
-29.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.48 ZWL 12.67
$1.10 ZWL 29.28
-56.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ZWL 20.44
$0.77 ZWL 20.45
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.01 ZWL 53.5
$1.51 ZWL 40.18
33.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.90 ZWL 183
$5.02 ZWL 134
37.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ZWL 12.91
$1.36 ZWL 36.11
-63.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 ZWL 25.95
$1.83 ZWL 48.69
-46.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.98 ZWL 25.99
$0.72 ZWL 19.07
36.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.86 ZWL 794
$29.51 ZWL 784
1.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.06 ZWL 108
$3.06 ZWL 81.2
32.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.96 ZWL 52.2
$1.98 ZWL 52.6
-1.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.89 ZWL 130
$5.03 ZWL 134
-2.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 ZWL 37.42
$1.69 ZWL 44.97
-16.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.4K ZWL 595.8K
$25.1K ZWL 667.6K
-10.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K ZWL 721.5K
$25.4K ZWL 675.1K
6.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.29 ZWL 1,044
$93.0 ZWL 2,473
-57.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.97 ZWL 531
$17.52 ZWL 466
13.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.7 ZWL 1,825
$107 ZWL 2,832
-35.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$30.99 ZWL 824
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.38 ZWL 542
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.81 ZWL 261
$10.09 ZWL 268
-2.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$439 ZWL 11.7K
$228 ZWL 6,053
92.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,539 ZWL 227.0K
$3,484 ZWL 92.6K
145.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.63 ZWL 628
$20.95 ZWL 557
12.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.29 ZWL 566
$11.80 ZWL 314
80.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$38.73 ZWL 1,029
$46.98 ZWL 1,249
-17.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.14 ZWL 1,093
$57.8 ZWL 1,536
-28.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$172 ZWL 4,574
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$180 ZWL 4,782
$106 ZWL 2,804
70.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$406 ZWL 10.8K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$295 ZWL 7,838
$323 ZWL 8,577
-8.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,061 ZWL 54.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,031 ZWL 54.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chinhoyi
Bulawayo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$203 ZWL 5,388
$303 ZWL 8,059
-33.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.69
15
-8.73%

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

Last update for Chinhoyi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chinhoyi
$180
Bulawayo
$106 41.3% $74
Groceries & Markets
Chinhoyi
$154
Bulawayo
$175 13.8% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chinhoyi
$128
Bulawayo
$217 69.7% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Chinhoyi
$56
Bulawayo
$62 10.2% $5.7
Eating Out
Chinhoyi
$53
Bulawayo
$91 70.7% $38
Getting Around
Chinhoyi
$48
Bulawayo
$45 4.9% $2.3
Sport & Entertainment
Chinhoyi
$20 *
Bulawayo
$51 161% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 50% higher in Bulawayo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Chinhoyi versus $30 in Bulawayo. Groceries tell a different story – $154 in Chinhoyi vs $175 in Bulawayo – so Chinhoyi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇿🇼 Chinhoyi
🇿🇼 Bulawayo
🕒 Local time
12:26 12:26 PM
12:26 12:26 PM
Same time as Chinhoyi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
56,794
653,337
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 26.58 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.58 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chinhoyi Bulawayo 350 km
From you
  • Chinhoyi
  • Bulawayo

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
Chinhoyi vs Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chinhoyi cheaper than Bulawayo?
Yes – Bulawayo is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $957 per month in Chinhoyi and $1,120 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Chinhoyi and in Bulawayo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $638 in Chinhoyi and $747 in Bulawayo. That’s a gap of about 17%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $439 per month in Chinhoyi and $228 in Bulawayo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,200 enough for either Chinhoyi or Bulawayo?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $638 in Chinhoyi and $747 in Bulawayo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Chinhoyi. 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.

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