Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mutare and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $747 a month against $788 in Mutare, rent and utilities included – about $490 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mutare outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
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Mutare Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
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Bulawayo Living Index

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Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$788

/mo nomad

Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mutare and in Bulawayo

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

A single person spends $788 per month in Mutare vs $747 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Mutare $788
Bulawayo $747

A couple spends around $1,219 per month in Mutare vs $1,194 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Mutare $1,219
Bulawayo $1,194

A family of three spends $1,649 per month in Mutare vs $1,642 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Mutare $1,649
Bulawayo $1,642

Mutare costs about 6% more than Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mutare and Bulawayo are more affordable than the global median – Mutare 42% lower, Bulawayo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 ZWL 262

$4.37 ZWL 116

125.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.40 ZWL 1,180

$29.90 ZWL 795

48.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.42 ZWL 118

$5.10 ZWL 136

-13.33%

Cappuccino

$1.26 ZWL 33.54

$2.14 ZWL 56.8

-41.12%

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

$0.78 ZWL 20.65

$0.52 ZWL 13.79

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 12.45

$0.36 ZWL 9.59

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ZWL 33.67

$1.46 ZWL 38.92

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ZWL 48.43

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

-7.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ZWL 32.82

$1.63 ZWL 43.27

-23.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ZWL 26.28

$0.98 ZWL 26.05

1.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ZWL 35.07

$1.55 ZWL 41.16

-14.84%

Eggs

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

$1.86 ZWL 49.36

3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.92 ZWL 77.6

$9.42 ZWL 250

-69.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 ZWL 105

$3.82 ZWL 102

2.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.06 ZWL 135

$4.60 ZWL 122

10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ZWL 54.1

$1.80 ZWL 47.79

12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ZWL 43.30

$1.55 ZWL 41.15

5.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ZWL 54.5

$2.40 ZWL 63.8

-14.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ZWL 26.90

$1.04 ZWL 27.65

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 ZWL 44.57

$1.26 ZWL 33.50

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ZWL 26.92

$1.44 ZWL 38.16

-29.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 ZWL 12.92

$1.10 ZWL 29.27

-55.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ZWL 26.23

$0.77 ZWL 20.45

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ZWL 32.49

$1.51 ZWL 40.16

-19.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 ZWL 161

$5.02 ZWL 133

20.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.24

$1.36 ZWL 36.09

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ZWL 44.32

$1.83 ZWL 48.67

-8.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ZWL 19.14

$0.72 ZWL 19.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.43 ZWL 729

$29.51 ZWL 784

-7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ZWL 77.8

$3.06 ZWL 81.2

-4.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 54.5

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

3.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 ZWL 136

$5.03 ZWL 134

1.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 ZWL 49.70

$1.69 ZWL 44.95

10.65%

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

$21.6K ZWL 574.6K

$25.1K ZWL 667.3K

-13.90%

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

$24.3K ZWL 644.7K

$25.4K ZWL 674.8K

-4.46%

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

$50.6 ZWL 1,345

$93.0 ZWL 2,472

-45.58%

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

$15.24 ZWL 405

$17.52 ZWL 466

-13.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ZWL 1,593

$107 ZWL 2,831

-43.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 ZWL 1,071

$30.99 ZWL 823

30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.08 ZWL 135

$20.38 ZWL 542

-75.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 ZWL 261

$10.09 ZWL 268

-2.68%

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

$145 ZWL 3,845

$228 ZWL 6,051

-36.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,600 ZWL 228.5K

$3,484 ZWL 92.6K

146.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.09 ZWL 268

$20.95 ZWL 557

-51.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.34 ZWL 248

$11.80 ZWL 314

-20.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.86 ZWL 661

$46.98 ZWL 1,248

-47.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$20.32 ZWL 540

$57.8 ZWL 1,536

-64.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 ZWL 9,281

$172 ZWL 4,573

102.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 ZWL 6,741

$106 ZWL 2,803

140.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ZWL 20.0K

$406 ZWL 10.8K

85.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ZWL 10.6K

$323 ZWL 8,574

23.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$247 ZWL 6,559

$2,061 ZWL 54.8K

-88.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,031 ZWL 54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 ZWL 6,658

$303 ZWL 8,056

-17.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

-8.73%

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

Last update for Mutare: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mutare

$254 32.2%

Bulawayo

$106 14.1% 58.4% $148

Groceries & Markets

Mutare

$154 19.6%

Bulawayo

$175 23.4% 13.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mutare

$126 16%

Bulawayo

$217 29.1% 72.6% $91

Eating Out

Mutare

$122 15.5%

Bulawayo

$91 12.2% 25.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Mutare

$60 7.6%

Bulawayo

$51 6.9% 14.6% $8.8

Getting Around

Mutare

$43 5.5%

Bulawayo

$45 6.1% 4.3% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Mutare

$29 3.7%

Bulawayo

$62 8.3% 113% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Mutare versus $172 in Bulawayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Bulawayo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Mutare versus $30 in Bulawayo. Groceries tell a different story – $154 in Mutare vs $175 in Bulawayo – so Mutare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Mutare

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

Same time as Mutare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,243

653,337

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mutare Bulawayo 450 km

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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

Mutare vs Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mutare is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,183 per month in Mutare and $1,120 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $349 in Mutare.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $788 in Mutare and $747 in Bulawayo. That makes Bulawayo about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Mutare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $788 in Mutare and $747 in Bulawayo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.