Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Kwekwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Kwekwe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,056 in Harare versus $743 in Kwekwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,734 in Harare versus $1,456 in Kwekwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,411 in Harare versus $2,170 in Kwekwe.

Living in Harare is roughly 42% more expensive than in Kwekwe, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 23% lower, Kwekwe 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 ZWL 266

$10.15 ZWL 270

-1.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 ZWL 1,063

$39.47 ZWL 1,052

1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ZWL 156

$6.18 ZWL 165

-5.34%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ZWL 85.1

$3.08 ZWL 82.1

3.57%

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

$0.93 ZWL 24.81

$0.99 ZWL 26.38

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ZWL 14.02

$0.50 ZWL 13.21

6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ZWL 40.36

$1.48 ZWL 39.39

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ZWL 52.8

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ZWL 40.97

$1.51 ZWL 40.22

1.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.29

$0.60 ZWL 15.87

70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 44.93

$1.65 ZWL 43.85

2.42%

Eggs

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

$1.93 ZWL 51.4

1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.86 ZWL 316

$12.08 ZWL 322

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 ZWL 146

$5.64 ZWL 150

-3.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 ZWL 180

$3.99 ZWL 106

69.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ZWL 81.0

$3.03 ZWL 80.7

0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ZWL 42.51

$1.67 ZWL 44.63

-4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

$1.99 ZWL 52.9

2.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ZWL 39.40

$1.46 ZWL 38.97

1.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ZWL 46.23

$1.72 ZWL 45.80

0.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ZWL 48.31

$1.88 ZWL 50.2

-3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ZWL 32.56

$1.17 ZWL 31.18

4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ZWL 27.84

$1.05 ZWL 27.93

-0.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

$1.98 ZWL 52.7

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 ZWL 236

$8.84 ZWL 236

0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ZWL 37.40

$1.36 ZWL 36.31

2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ZWL 53.1

$2.02 ZWL 53.7

-1.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ZWL 27.04

$0.52 ZWL 13.75

94.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 ZWL 1,598

$32.54 ZWL 867

84.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 ZWL 106

$3.96 ZWL 106

0.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 ZWL 54.8

$1.99 ZWL 53.0

3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 ZWL 137

$4.98 ZWL 133

3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 ZWL 48.96

$1.56 ZWL 41.65

17.95%

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

$22.3K ZWL 594.0K

$22.0K ZWL 587.4K

1.11%

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

$27.0K ZWL 719.2K

$27.9K ZWL 744.4K

-3.40%

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

$54.3 ZWL 1,448

$54.3 ZWL 1,446

0.11%

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

$21.37 ZWL 569

$18.29 ZWL 487

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 ZWL 1,814

$68.0 ZWL 1,813

0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 ZWL 1,320

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.14 ZWL 590

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 ZWL 262

$10.06 ZWL 268

-2.29%

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

$459 ZWL 12.2K

$470 ZWL 12.5K

-2.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,889 ZWL 236.9K

$9,085 ZWL 242.1K

-2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.99 ZWL 639

$19.72 ZWL 525

21.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.48 ZWL 573

$21.30 ZWL 568

0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.84 ZWL 1,062

$34.91 ZWL 930

14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.34 ZWL 1,102

$39.88 ZWL 1,063

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ZWL 10.7K

$152 ZWL 4,048

164.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ZWL 8,400

$122 ZWL 3,249

158.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ZWL 22.3K

$598 ZWL 15.9K

39.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 ZWL 19.9K

$796 ZWL 21.2K

-6.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$932 ZWL 24.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$394 ZWL 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$422 ZWL 11.2K

$305 ZWL 8,139

38.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

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

Last update for Harare: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kwekwe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Harare and $152 in Kwekwe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harare pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Harare vs $39.00 in Kwekwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $207 per month, with Kwekwe cheaper across the board.

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

Harare vs Kwekwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kwekwe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Clothing & Footwear. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Harare, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Harare versus $152 in Kwekwe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Harare versus $470 in Kwekwe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Harare. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $743 in Kwekwe versus $1,056 in Harare, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kwekwe but tight or insufficient in Harare. The gap between the two cities makes Kwekwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kwekwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Harare. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.