Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Marondera Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Marondera

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,004 in Harare versus $794 in Marondera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,655 in Harare versus $1,215 in Marondera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,306 in Harare versus $1,636 in Marondera.

Living in Harare is roughly 27% more expensive than Marondera, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 25% lower, Marondera 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ZWL 251

$4.93 ZWL 125

100.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.08 ZWL 1,242

$50.9 ZWL 1,288

-3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 ZWL 172

$7.04 ZWL 178

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ZWL 75.8

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

45.63%

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

$0.66 ZWL 16.72

$0.70 ZWL 17.76

-5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 11.81

$0.47 ZWL 11.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ZWL 37.39

$1.53 ZWL 38.71

-3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ZWL 50.3

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

-3.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ZWL 40.70

$0.98 ZWL 24.75

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZWL 25.58

$1.02 ZWL 25.76

-0.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 ZWL 48.64

$1.02 ZWL 25.91

88.24%

Eggs

$2.08 ZWL 52.7

$2.15 ZWL 54.4

-3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 ZWL 280

$10.03 ZWL 254

10.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ZWL 165

$5.13 ZWL 130

27.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 ZWL 158

$5.09 ZWL 129

22.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ZWL 76.9

$3.03 ZWL 76.6

0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 43.04

$1.69 ZWL 42.68

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ZWL 56.1

$1.96 ZWL 49.49

13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ZWL 42.07

$1.64 ZWL 41.42

1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 39.30

$1.55 ZWL 39.29

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 ZWL 50.1

$2.00 ZWL 50.7

-1.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ZWL 26.24

$1.00 ZWL 25.35

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ZWL 25.46

$1.00 ZWL 25.30

1.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.08 ZWL 27.35

$1.07 ZWL 27.03

0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 ZWL 220

$3.89 ZWL 98.5

123.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ZWL 29.56

$1.12 ZWL 28.31

4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ZWL 45.54

$1.74 ZWL 43.99

3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZWL 24.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.32 ZWL 1,071

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 ZWL 128

$4.92 ZWL 124

2.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ZWL 49.25

$2.02 ZWL 51.1

-3.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 127

$4.91 ZWL 124

2.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ZWL 40.85

$1.53 ZWL 38.79

5.23%

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

$20.1K ZWL 508.8K

$19.8K ZWL 501.5K

1.46%

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

$23.3K ZWL 589.4K

$23.5K ZWL 595.7K

-1.06%

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

$57.3 ZWL 1,450

$59.3 ZWL 1,501

-3.35%

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

$17.82 ZWL 451

$17.50 ZWL 443

1.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.1 ZWL 2,355

$90.8 ZWL 2,298

2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ZWL 1,332

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.42 ZWL 365

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 ZWL 249

$10.11 ZWL 256

-2.57%

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

$275 ZWL 6,952

$282 ZWL 7,144

-2.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,312 ZWL 185.0K

$7,244 ZWL 183.3K

0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.61 ZWL 496

$19.22 ZWL 486

2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.59 ZWL 546

$21.21 ZWL 537

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.05 ZWL 862

$34.97 ZWL 885

-2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.85 ZWL 1,008

$39.93 ZWL 1,010

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ZWL 9,941

$247 ZWL 6,247

59.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ZWL 6,936

$248 ZWL 6,263

10.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 ZWL 24.6K

$393 ZWL 9,935

147.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 ZWL 17.9K

$356 ZWL 9,017

98.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$892 ZWL 22.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$394 ZWL 9,977

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 ZWL 9,992

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.31

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

Last update for Harare: April 25, 2026

Last update for Marondera: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Harare and $247 in Marondera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Harare vs $51.0 in Marondera. Groceries flip the comparison at $221 vs $186, with Marondera cheaper for home cooking.

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 Marondera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marondera is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,506 in Harare and $1,190 in Marondera to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Harare versus $247 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Harare. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,004 per month in Harare versus $794 in Marondera – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $794 in Marondera versus $1,004 in Harare, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marondera but tight or insufficient in Harare. The gap between the two cities makes Marondera 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 Marondera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Harare. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.