Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Zimbabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Zimbabwe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $491 in Zimbabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $821 in Zimbabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $1,151 in Zimbabwe.

Living in Italy is roughly 250% more expensive than in Zimbabwe on average.

Italy (29% above) and Zimbabwe (63% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 €15.38
$7.10 ZWL 190
147.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.5 €72.1
$50.9 ZWL 1,359
61.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.72 €10.25
$6.06 ZWL 162
93.40%
Cappuccino
$1.92 €1.68
$2.69 ZWL 71.7
-28.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 €2.62
$0.73 ZWL 19.36
309.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.19
$0.49 ZWL 12.99
177.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.76 €5.04
$1.47 ZWL 39.29
291.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.22 €4.57
$1.96 ZWL 52.4
166.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 €1.48
$1.57 ZWL 42.02
7.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.04
$1.03 ZWL 27.38
126.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.05 €2.67
$1.83 ZWL 48.77
66.67%
Eggs
$3.99 €3.49
$2.05 ZWL 54.8
94.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.68 €14.59
$10.19 ZWL 272
63.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.57 €11.00
$5.51 ZWL 147
128.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.53 €17.96
$5.84 ZWL 156
251.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.24
$2.65 ZWL 70.6
-3.40%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 €1.93
$1.72 ZWL 45.84
27.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.34
$2.07 ZWL 55.1
29.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.37 €2.95
$1.61 ZWL 42.97
109.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.78
$1.56 ZWL 41.64
30.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 €1.65
$1.80 ZWL 48.15
4.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.29
$1.09 ZWL 29.02
34.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.47
$1.08 ZWL 28.74
-50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.00 €6.12
$1.38 ZWL 36.83
407.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.09 €6.20
$6.84 ZWL 182
3.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.58
$1.15 ZWL 30.56
56.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 €2.19
$1.79 ZWL 47.65
40.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 €1.71
$1.01 ZWL 27.00
94.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.58 €36.38
$29.60 ZWL 790
40.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.80 €5.08
$5.14 ZWL 137
12.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 €1.40
$2.02 ZWL 53.8
-20.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.07 €30.68
$5.13 ZWL 137
583.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.86
$1.62 ZWL 43.12
31.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K €28.5K
$23.1K ZWL 616.7K
40.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K €29.6K
$24.4K ZWL 650.7K
38.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €197
$53.8 ZWL 1,435
318.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.14 €11.50
$17.22 ZWL 459
-23.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.19 €27.29
$90.0 ZWL 2,401
-65.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 €50.0
$47.26 ZWL 1,261
20.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.85 €22.61
$11.08 ZWL 295
133.30%
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 €9.05
$10.13 ZWL 270
2.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$564 €493
$225 ZWL 5,995
150.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.3K €9,047
$8,093 ZWL 215.9K
27.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.9 €80.4
$19.09 ZWL 509
381.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.54 €35.47
$19.59 ZWL 523
106.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.2 €85.9
$37.25 ZWL 994
163.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €116
$41.76 ZWL 1,114
216.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$855 €748
$332 ZWL 8,862
157.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$663 €580
$229 ZWL 6,115
189.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,522 €1,332
$810 ZWL 21.6K
87.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,089 €953
$546 ZWL 14.6K
99.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,747 €3,278
$936 ZWL 25.0K
300.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,299 €2,011
$395 ZWL 10.5K
482.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,897 €1,659
$341 ZWL 9,090
456.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.41
13.5
-67.33%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $105 in Zimbabwe. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $398 in Harare.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $355 in Zimbabwe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 607% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 131% more in Italy.

Public transport is 450% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 439% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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
Italy vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Zimbabwe?
At $1,822 per month in Italy and $495 in Zimbabwe, there's a 268% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Italy 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.
Is $800 a realistic budget in Italy or in Zimbabwe?
In Zimbabwe, $800 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or to Zimbabwe?
It depends on what you're after: Zimbabwe wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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