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 $491 in Zimbabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $821 in Zimbabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,151 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 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 ₹244

$7.10 ZWL 190

-64.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 ₹1,321

$50.9 ZWL 1,359

-73.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₹385

$6.06 ZWL 162

-33.99%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₹184

$2.69 ZWL 71.7

-29.00%

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

$0.43 ₹41.85

$0.73 ZWL 19.36

-41.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.11

$0.49 ZWL 12.99

-65.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹186

$1.47 ZWL 39.29

31.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₹341

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

80.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$1.57 ZWL 42.02

-53.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.03 ZWL 27.38

-49.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$1.83 ZWL 48.77

-60.11%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.4

$2.05 ZWL 54.8

-53.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.32 ₹512

$10.19 ZWL 272

-47.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ₹299

$5.51 ZWL 147

-43.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.84 ZWL 156

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹208

$2.65 ZWL 70.6

-18.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹67.7

$1.72 ZWL 45.84

-59.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹101

$2.07 ZWL 55.1

-49.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.8

$1.61 ZWL 42.97

-67.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.65

$1.56 ZWL 41.64

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.63

$1.80 ZWL 48.15

-73.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.78

$1.09 ZWL 29.02

-52.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₹34.33

$1.08 ZWL 28.74

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹387

$1.38 ZWL 36.83

191.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₹701

$6.84 ZWL 182

6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₹183

$1.15 ZWL 30.56

65.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₹292

$1.79 ZWL 47.65

69.27%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.66

$1.01 ZWL 27.00

-64.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₹948

$29.60 ZWL 790

-66.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹91.8

$5.14 ZWL 137

-81.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.03

$2.02 ZWL 53.8

-85.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₹172

$5.13 ZWL 137

-65.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₹117

$1.62 ZWL 43.12

-25.31%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$23.1K ZWL 616.7K

-40.07%

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

$22.4K ₹2.2M

$24.4K ZWL 650.7K

-7.98%

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

$40.16 ₹3,866

$53.8 ZWL 1,435

-25.35%

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

$3.76 ₹362

$17.22 ZWL 459

-78.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₹774

$90.0 ZWL 2,401

-91.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.25 ₹1,565

$47.26 ZWL 1,261

-65.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 ₹728

$11.08 ZWL 295

-31.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₹330

$10.13 ZWL 270

-66.14%

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

$69.7 ₹6,713

$225 ZWL 5,995

-68.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 ₹178.3K

$8,093 ZWL 215.9K

-77.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.59 ₹2,463

$19.09 ZWL 509

34.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₹2,531

$19.59 ZWL 523

34.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 ₹4,321

$37.25 ZWL 994

20.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.20 ₹3,196

$41.76 ZWL 1,114

-20.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.8K

$332 ZWL 8,862

-47.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₹10.8K

$229 ZWL 6,115

-50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹38.9K

$810 ZWL 21.6K

-50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₹24.8K

$546 ZWL 14.6K

-52.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ₹121.6K

$936 ZWL 25.0K

34.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 ₹62.8K

$395 ZWL 10.5K

65.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 ₹40.8K

$341 ZWL 9,090

24.47%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $105 in Zimbabwe. Capital cities: $242 in Delhi vs $398 in Harare.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $355 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, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 $589 per month in India and $495 in Zimbabwe, there's a 19% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Zimbabwe: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.