Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Mutare

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $780 a month against $1,076 in Harare, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Harare
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Harare Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
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Mutare Living Index

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Harare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$1,076

/mo nomad

Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$780

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Harare and in Mutare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Harare versus $780 in Mutare.

Harare $1,076
Mutare $780

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Harare versus $1,212 in Mutare.

Harare $1,802
Mutare $1,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,528 in Harare versus $1,643 in Mutare.

Harare $2,528
Mutare $1,643

Living in Harare is roughly 38% more expensive than in Mutare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 20% lower, Mutare 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.26 ZWL 325

$9.80 ZWL 260

25.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.28 ZWL 1,202

$44.81 ZWL 1,189

1.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 ZWL 148

$4.48 ZWL 119

24.55%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ZWL 81.3

$1.21 ZWL 32.22

152.89%

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

$0.83 ZWL 21.99

$0.73 ZWL 19.31

13.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.16

$0.47 ZWL 12.35

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ZWL 32.90

$1.24 ZWL 32.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ZWL 51.8

$1.84 ZWL 48.80

5.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ZWL 40.25

$1.22 ZWL 32.51

24.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.20

$0.98 ZWL 26.02

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ZWL 42.85

$1.27 ZWL 33.79

26.77%

Eggs

$1.95 ZWL 51.7

$1.92 ZWL 50.9

1.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ZWL 303

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

284.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 ZWL 144

$3.91 ZWL 104

39.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 ZWL 176

$5.12 ZWL 136

29.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 ZWL 84.7

$2.06 ZWL 54.6

54.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 43.51

$1.72 ZWL 45.56

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ZWL 53.0

$2.05 ZWL 54.5

-2.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ZWL 40.30

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

47.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ZWL 46.40

$1.67 ZWL 44.33

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ZWL 40.39

$0.97 ZWL 25.80

56.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ZWL 34.23

$0.52 ZWL 13.81

148.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ZWL 26.76

$1.00 ZWL 26.47

1.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.81 ZWL 47.92

$1.19 ZWL 31.49

52.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 ZWL 222

$5.85 ZWL 155

43.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ZWL 35.66

$1.22 ZWL 32.45

9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ZWL 49.35

$1.67 ZWL 44.26

11.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ZWL 27.06

$0.73 ZWL 19.26

39.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 ZWL 1,577

$27.36 ZWL 726

117.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ZWL 105

$2.98 ZWL 79.1

32.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ZWL 51.7

$2.03 ZWL 53.9

-3.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 ZWL 135

$5.05 ZWL 134

0.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 ZWL 48.91

$1.81 ZWL 47.99

1.66%

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

$22.4K ZWL 594.0K

$21.8K ZWL 577.9K

2.79%

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

$27.6K ZWL 731.7K

$24.1K ZWL 640.4K

14.26%

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

$50.6 ZWL 1,343

$50.3 ZWL 1,336

0.54%

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

$21.52 ZWL 571

$14.71 ZWL 390

46.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 ZWL 1,900

$59.6 ZWL 1,583

20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.19 ZWL 1,199

$39.90 ZWL 1,059

13.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.75 ZWL 604

$4.95 ZWL 131

359.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 ZWL 264

$10.17 ZWL 270

-2.06%

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

$419 ZWL 11.1K

$150 ZWL 3,983

179.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K ZWL 435.4K

$8,598 ZWL 228.2K

90.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.40 ZWL 568

$9.93 ZWL 263

115.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.25 ZWL 537

$9.69 ZWL 257

108.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.24 ZWL 988

$25.39 ZWL 674

46.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.98 ZWL 1,061

$20.14 ZWL 534

98.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ZWL 10.4K

$356 ZWL 9,447

10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ZWL 9,415

$247 ZWL 6,542

43.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 ZWL 26.5K

$747 ZWL 19.8K

33.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 ZWL 23.0K

$393 ZWL 10.4K

120.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$939 ZWL 24.9K

$254 ZWL 6,751

269.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$394 ZWL 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$405 ZWL 10.8K

$254 ZWL 6,728

59.81%

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: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mutare: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harare

$355 33%

Mutare

$247 31.6% 30.5% $108

Groceries & Markets

Harare

$215 20%

Mutare

$155 19.8% 28.1% $60

Eating Out

Harare

$167 15.5%

Mutare

$121 15.5% 27.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harare

$144 13.4%

Mutare

$125 16% 13.2% $19

Getting Around

Harare

$77 7.2%

Mutare

$43 5.6% 43.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Harare

$65 6.1%

Mutare

$60 7.7% 7.5% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Harare

$53 5%

Mutare

$29 3.8% 45.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Harare and $356 in Mutare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harare pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $45 in Harare vs $45 in Mutare. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $155, with Mutare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Harare

🇿🇼 Mutare

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as Harare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,606,000 Capital

188,243

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.77 USD

100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.77 USD

100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mutare is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $393 in Harare versus $356 in Mutare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Harare. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,076 per month in Harare versus $780 in Mutare – Mutare is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $780 in Mutare versus $1,076 in Harare, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mutare but tight or insufficient in Harare. The gap between the two cities makes Mutare 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.

It comes down to priorities – Mutare wins on affordability, Harare on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.