Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Zimbabwe

Name: Zimbabwe
Address: ZW

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $864 in Zimbabwe, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zimbabwe
Learn more

Zimbabwe Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Zimbabwe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $864 in Zimbabwe.

India $399
Zimbabwe $864

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,423 in Zimbabwe.

India $639
Zimbabwe $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $1,981 in Zimbabwe.

India $879
Zimbabwe $1,981

India ($230–$813) and Zimbabwe ($579–$1,065) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in India costs about 54% less than in Zimbabwe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Zimbabwe 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$6.28 ZWL 167

-65.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.46 ₹993

$40.61 ZWL 1,079

-74.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ₹361

$5.55 ZWL 147

-31.53%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₹159

$2.58 ZWL 68.6

-34.88%

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

$0.38 ₹35.93

$0.74 ZWL 19.55

-48.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.58

$0.48 ZWL 12.74

-68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹177

$1.47 ZWL 39.04

27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹302

$1.98 ZWL 52.5

60.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.1

$1.49 ZWL 39.69

-58.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.68

$1.02 ZWL 27.22

-50.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.2

$1.52 ZWL 40.46

-58.55%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.1

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

-49.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 ₹460

$9.84 ZWL 261

-50.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹270

$4.97 ZWL 132

-42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.60 ZWL 149

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$2.72 ZWL 72.3

-26.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.3

$1.73 ZWL 45.89

-62.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.1

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

-50.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.22

$1.36 ZWL 36.02

-65.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.82

$1.62 ZWL 42.97

-79.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.66

$1.56 ZWL 41.56

-73.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.32

$1.15 ZWL 30.54

-59.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.62

$0.99 ZWL 26.30

-68.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹482

$2.05 ZWL 54.4

147.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹694

$6.92 ZWL 184

5.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹154

$1.24 ZWL 32.88

31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹262

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

43.75%

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

$5.11 ₹485

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.81

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

-73.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 ₹815

$39.26 ZWL 1,043

-78.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₹94.5

$2.92 ZWL 77.7

-65.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.69

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

-86.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$5.04 ZWL 134

-69.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.78 ZWL 47.24

-39.89%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$24.8K ZWL 659.1K

-54.79%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$27.5K ZWL 729.4K

-26.96%

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

$37.08 ₹3,521

$51.2 ZWL 1,361

-27.63%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$18.70 ZWL 497

-80.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹679

$70.0 ZWL 1,860

-89.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.00 ₹1,424

$42.11 ZWL 1,119

-64.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₹681

$20.29 ZWL 539

-64.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹303

$10.07 ZWL 267

-68.22%

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

$58.8 ₹5,583

$287 ZWL 7,613

-79.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,667 ₹158.2K

$7,672 ZWL 203.8K

-78.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ₹2,187

$19.37 ZWL 515

18.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.17 ₹2,295

$17.62 ZWL 468

37.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.20 ₹3,911

$40.22 ZWL 1,069

2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ₹2,812

$42.91 ZWL 1,140

-30.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹13.9K

$299 ZWL 7,942

-51.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.4 ₹9,149

$241 ZWL 6,409

-60.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.6K

$736 ZWL 19.6K

-53.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ₹22.2K

$557 ZWL 14.8K

-58.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₹111.7K

$924 ZWL 24.6K

27.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 ₹60.1K

$397 ZWL 10.6K

59.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 ₹38.8K

$369 ZWL 9,804

10.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

13.77

-35.15%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.6%

Zimbabwe

$197 22.8% 92.8% $95

Accommodation & Living

India

$96 24.1%

Zimbabwe

$241 27.9% 150% $145

Eating Out

India

$67 16.7%

Zimbabwe

$114 13.2% 71.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.3%

Zimbabwe

$54 6.3% 1.8% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12%

Zimbabwe

$140 16.2% 193% $92

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

Zimbabwe

$62 7.2% 191% $41

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Zimbabwe

$56 6.5% 367% $44

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $240 in Zimbabwe. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $399 in Harare.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $363 in Zimbabwe. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 100% higher in Zimbabwe.

Dining out costs 291% more in Zimbabwe.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in Zimbabwe.

Salaries are 13% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

07:26 7:26 AM

3 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

15,178,979

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.67 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

India Zimbabwe 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

India
Zimbabwe

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

India vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $864 in Zimbabwe, India comes out about 54% cheaper. 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 cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $240 in Zimbabwe and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Zimbabwe 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: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.