Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Zimbabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Zimbabwe

Name: Zimbabwe
Address: ZW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $388 in India versus $489 in Zimbabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $817 in Zimbabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,145 in Zimbabwe.

Living in India costs about 21% less than in Zimbabwe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Zimbabwe 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ₹237

$7.15 ZWL 192

-65.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.20 ₹1,353

$50.0 ZWL 1,343

-71.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.98 ₹379

$6.18 ZWL 166

-35.60%

Cappuccino

$1.88 ₹179

$2.78 ZWL 74.7

-32.37%

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

$0.44 ₹41.98

$0.72 ZWL 19.45

-38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₹18.57

$0.45 ZWL 12.11

-57.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹192

$1.53 ZWL 40.96

32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₹329

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

68.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹68.3

$1.55 ZWL 41.50

-53.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.26

$0.97 ZWL 26.10

-46.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.7

$1.81 ZWL 48.71

-60.22%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.8

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

-56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 ₹499

$10.37 ZWL 278

-49.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ₹292

$5.77 ZWL 155

-46.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 ZWL 157

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₹207

$2.62 ZWL 70.4

-17.18%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.2

$1.80 ZWL 48.32

-57.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹100

$2.13 ZWL 57.2

-50.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.7

$1.59 ZWL 42.71

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.53

$1.59 ZWL 42.77

-75.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₹46.81

$1.84 ZWL 49.32

-73.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.35

$1.04 ZWL 28.03

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₹31.13

$1.07 ZWL 28.77

-69.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ₹386

$1.36 ZWL 36.61

197.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 ₹704

$6.86 ZWL 184

7.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₹175

$1.17 ZWL 31.45

57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₹277

$1.79 ZWL 47.96

62.01%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.59

$0.99 ZWL 26.54

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ₹928

$29.96 ZWL 804

-67.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹90.6

$4.92 ZWL 132

-80.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.64

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

-85.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 ₹165

$5.14 ZWL 138

-66.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₹117

$1.62 ZWL 43.51

-24.07%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$23.7K ZWL 637.3K

-41.64%

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

$22.6K ₹2.2M

$24.3K ZWL 652.1K

-6.94%

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

$40.88 ₹3,894

$53.9 ZWL 1,448

-24.18%

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

$3.91 ₹372

$17.47 ZWL 469

-77.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.81 ₹744

$89.7 ZWL 2,407

-91.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.15 ₹1,538

$47.55 ZWL 1,277

-66.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.49 ₹713

$10.72 ZWL 288

-30.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 ₹326

$9.99 ZWL 268

-65.77%

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

$69.9 ₹6,660

$222 ZWL 5,966

-68.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,793 ₹170.8K

$8,138 ZWL 218.5K

-77.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.83 ₹2,460

$18.67 ZWL 501

38.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.61 ₹2,535

$19.11 ZWL 513

39.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.24 ₹4,309

$36.68 ZWL 985

23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.68 ₹3,208

$42.38 ZWL 1,138

-20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₹17.0K

$336 ZWL 9,020

-46.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹10.9K

$224 ZWL 6,017

-48.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₹38.8K

$818 ZWL 22.0K

-50.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.1K

$535 ZWL 14.4K

-50.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,240 ₹118.1K

$857 ZWL 23.0K

44.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$631 ₹60.1K

$383 ZWL 10.3K

64.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 ₹41.2K

$344 ZWL 9,233

25.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

13.5

-33.19%

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

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $105 in Zimbabwe. Capital cities: $239 in Delhi vs $403 in Harare.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $356 in Zimbabwe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 21% higher in India.

Dining out costs 191% more in Zimbabwe.

Salaries are 12% higher in India, giving India stronger purchasing power.

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

India vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $576 per month in India and $496 in Zimbabwe, there's a 16% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Zimbabwe is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in India beats Zimbabwe across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Zimbabwe, $800 covers most cities easily. In India, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Zimbabwe wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.