Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Harare: $1,021 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santiago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Harare
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Harare Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Harare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$1,021

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Harare and in Santiago

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 Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,021 in Harare versus $1,190 in Santiago.

Harare $1,021
Santiago $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,695 in Harare versus $1,892 in Santiago.

Harare $1,695
Santiago $1,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,368 in Harare versus $2,595 in Santiago.

Harare $2,368
Santiago $2,595

Living in Harare costs roughly 14% less than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 24% lower, Santiago 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.96 ZWL 265

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

-3.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.84 ZWL 1,220

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

-11.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 ZWL 156

$8.94 CLP 8,805

-34.34%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ZWL 81.7

$3.26 CLP 3,211

-5.83%

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

$0.93 ZWL 24.65

$1.67 CLP 1,640

-44.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZWL 13.10

$1.23 CLP 1,212

-60.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 ZWL 34.04

$3.98 CLP 3,914

-67.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

$4.54 CLP 4,465

-56.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ZWL 39.90

$1.28 CLP 1,263

17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ZWL 25.89

$1.85 CLP 1,817

-47.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.34

$1.59 CLP 1,567

6.92%

Eggs

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-53.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 ZWL 303

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 ZWL 148

$6.69 CLP 6,586

-16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 ZWL 169

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

-41.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ZWL 79.3

$1.94 CLP 1,905

53.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ZWL 43.27

$1.52 CLP 1,497

7.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ZWL 55.2

$1.60 CLP 1,577

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ZWL 40.46

$1.69 CLP 1,668

-10.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 44.88

$1.10 CLP 1,084

53.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 ZWL 46.51

$1.52 CLP 1,500

15.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ZWL 34.48

$1.18 CLP 1,164

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ZWL 25.26

$1.08 CLP 1,061

-12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

$5.07 CLP 4,995

-59.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 ZWL 216

$5.95 CLP 5,858

36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ZWL 35.25

$1.49 CLP 1,470

-11.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ZWL 52.9

$2.38 CLP 2,342

-16.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZWL 27.37

$0.83 CLP 821

24.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 ZWL 1,600

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

49.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 ZWL 108

$0.40 CLP 393

915.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ZWL 53.6

$0.91 CLP 897

120.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 ZWL 129

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

-58.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 ZWL 47.89

$1.51 CLP 1,486

19.21%

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

$21.8K ZWL 580.4K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

24.10%

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

$27.6K ZWL 734.5K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

25.54%

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

$50.8 ZWL 1,352

$151 CLP 149.0K

-66.44%

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

$21.38 ZWL 569

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

73.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 ZWL 1,870

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

275.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.57 ZWL 1,293

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

44.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.24 ZWL 592

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

88.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 ZWL 269

$7.45 CLP 7,334

35.84%

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

$428 ZWL 11.4K

$430 CLP 423.7K

-0.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,559 ZWL 227.8K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

-20.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.89 ZWL 609

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

-53.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.95 ZWL 558

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

-27.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.61 ZWL 1,027

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

-41.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.85 ZWL 1,060

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

-50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 ZWL 10.2K

$559 CLP 550.4K

-31.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 ZWL 8,350

$384 CLP 377.8K

-18.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 ZWL 22.1K

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

-17.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 ZWL 19.6K

$780 CLP 767.9K

-5.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$915 ZWL 24.4K

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-65.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$387 ZWL 10.3K

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-84.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$413 ZWL 11.0K

$804 CLP 791.0K

-48.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

5.39

153.99%

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

Last update for Harare: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harare

$314 30.7%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 22.3% $70

Groceries & Markets

Harare

$213 20.8%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 10.9% $23

Eating Out

Harare

$150 14.7%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 26.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harare

$142 14%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 28.1% $40

Getting Around

Harare

$78 7.7%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 38.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Harare

$69 6.7%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 29.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Harare

$55 5.4%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 83.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $383 in Harare and $559 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 94% 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: $46.00 in Harare vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $236 per month, with Harare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Harare

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

5 h behind Harare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,606,000 Capital

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Harare Santiago 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Harare
Santiago

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

Harare vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Santiago. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $383 in Harare versus $559 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Harare versus $430 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,021 in Harare versus $1,190 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Harare 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 Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.