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: $1,717 in Italy versus $489 in Zimbabwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $817 in Zimbabwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $1,145 in Zimbabwe.

Living in Italy is roughly 251% more expensive than Zimbabwe on average.

Italy (28% above) and Zimbabwe (64% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.44 €15.02
$7.15 ZWL 192
143.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €68.4
$50.0 ZWL 1,345
58.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 €10.12
$6.18 ZWL 166
90.29%
Cappuccino
$2.00 €1.72
$2.78 ZWL 74.8
-28.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.59
$0.72 ZWL 19.48
316.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.16
$0.45 ZWL 12.13
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.94 €5.11
$1.53 ZWL 41.02
288.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 €4.61
$2.05 ZWL 55.2
161.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 €1.41
$1.55 ZWL 41.56
5.81%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 €2.08
$0.97 ZWL 26.14
148.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 €2.58
$1.81 ZWL 48.78
65.19%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.41
$2.16 ZWL 58.1
83.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.84 €14.50
$10.37 ZWL 279
62.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.43 €10.70
$5.77 ZWL 155
115.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.29 €17.47
$5.86 ZWL 157
246.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.47 €2.13
$2.62 ZWL 70.5
-5.73%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.85
$1.80 ZWL 48.39
19.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.28
$2.13 ZWL 57.3
24.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.40 €2.92
$1.59 ZWL 42.78
113.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 €1.65
$1.59 ZWL 42.83
20.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.81 €1.56
$1.84 ZWL 49.39
-1.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 €1.33
$1.04 ZWL 28.07
49.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.47
$1.07 ZWL 28.81
-49.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.79 €5.85
$1.36 ZWL 36.67
399.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.18 €6.18
$6.86 ZWL 185
4.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.55
$1.17 ZWL 31.50
53.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 €2.08
$1.79 ZWL 48.04
35.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.00 €1.72
$0.99 ZWL 26.58
102.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.35 €36.46
$29.96 ZWL 806
41.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.94 €5.12
$4.92 ZWL 132
20.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 €1.30
$2.06 ZWL 55.3
-26.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.04 €29.31
$5.14 ZWL 138
562.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 €1.77
$1.62 ZWL 43.57
26.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K €28.3K
$23.7K ZWL 638.3K
38.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.7K €29.0K
$24.3K ZWL 653.1K
38.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €194
$53.9 ZWL 1,450
318.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.25 €11.41
$17.47 ZWL 470
-24.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.95 €26.65
$89.7 ZWL 2,411
-65.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.7 €48.00
$47.55 ZWL 1,279
17.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.15 €21.65
$10.72 ZWL 288
134.61%
Cinema Ticket
$10.25 €8.83
$9.99 ZWL 269
2.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$576 €496
$222 ZWL 5,975
159.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K €9,007
$8,138 ZWL 218.8K
28.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.8 €79.1
$18.67 ZWL 502
391.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.72 €35.06
$19.11 ZWL 514
113.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 €84.4
$36.68 ZWL 986
167.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €113
$42.38 ZWL 1,139
208.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$860 €740
$336 ZWL 9,033
155.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 €574
$224 ZWL 6,026
197.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 €1,270
$818 ZWL 22.0K
80.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,087 €936
$535 ZWL 14.4K
102.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,850 €3,316
$857 ZWL 23.1K
349.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,359 €2,031
$383 ZWL 10.3K
516.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Zimbabwe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,933 €1,665
$344 ZWL 9,247
462.25%
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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $105 in Zimbabwe. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $403 in Harare.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $356 in Zimbabwe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 608% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 131% more in Italy.

Public transport is 389% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 447% higher in Italy, giving Italy 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
Italy vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Zimbabwe?
At $1,839 per month in Italy and $496 in Zimbabwe, there's a 271% 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?
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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Italy 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.
Is $800 a realistic budget in Italy or Zimbabwe?
In Zimbabwe, $800 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or 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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