Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mutare and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $789 in Mutare, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mutare
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$789
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$647
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mutare and in Cairo

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 Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $789 per month in Mutare vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Mutare $789
  • Cairo $647

A couple spends around $1,220 per month in Mutare vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Mutare $1,220
  • Cairo $1,035

A family of three spends $1,651 per month in Mutare vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Mutare $1,651
  • Cairo $1,423

Mutare costs about 22% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Mutare and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Mutare 42% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.15 ZWL 270
$4.64 E£248
118.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.07 ZWL 1,199
$28.12 E£1,501
60.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.42 ZWL 118
$6.03 E£322
-26.70%
Cappuccino
$1.28 ZWL 34.07
$1.72 E£92.1
-25.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ZWL 19.54
$0.36 E£19.38
102.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ZWL 12.11
$0.12 E£6.41
283.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.22 ZWL 32.33
$1.51 E£80.4
-19.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 ZWL 47.47
$2.32 E£124
-23.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 ZWL 32.42
$0.92 E£48.92
32.61%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 ZWL 26.14
$0.73 E£38.92
34.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ZWL 35.28
$0.74 E£39.64
79.73%
Eggs
$1.87 ZWL 49.72
$1.19 E£63.7
57.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.92 ZWL 77.8
$4.33 E£231
-32.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.04 ZWL 107
$5.03 E£269
-19.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.01 ZWL 133
$9.28 E£496
-46.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 ZWL 54.3
$1.77 E£94.4
15.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ZWL 45.15
$0.73 E£39.03
132.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.05 ZWL 54.6
$0.55 E£29.51
272.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.98 ZWL 26.18
$0.50 E£26.91
96.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.75 ZWL 46.52
$0.42 E£22.42
316.67%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 ZWL 26.33
$0.41 E£21.81
141.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.48 ZWL 12.83
$0.33 E£17.51
45.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ZWL 26.41
$0.21 E£11.20
371.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.18 ZWL 31.32
$1.98 E£106
-40.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.09 ZWL 162
$7.81 E£417
-22.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 ZWL 31.32
$1.59 E£84.7
-25.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ZWL 45.96
$2.09 E£112
-17.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.77 ZWL 20.48
$0.35 E£18.83
120.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.46 ZWL 704
$8.69 E£464
204.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ZWL 80.3
$0.39 E£21.02
674.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 ZWL 52.6
$0.22 E£11.57
800.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 ZWL 131
$1.51 E£80.5
227.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 ZWL 49.42
$0.43 E£22.88
332.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ZWL 575.1K
$32.7K E£1.7M
-33.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K ZWL 629.3K
$27.2K E£1.5M
-13.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.7 ZWL 1,349
$27.27 E£1,456
85.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.72 ZWL 392
$8.58 E£458
71.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.4 ZWL 1,580
$13.99 E£747
324.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.95 ZWL 1,063
$29.69 E£1,585
34.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.05 ZWL 134
$7.25 E£387
-30.34%
Cinema Ticket
$9.89 ZWL 263
$4.86 E£260
103.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$150 ZWL 4,002
$121 E£6,438
24.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,553 ZWL 227.6K
$3,560 E£190.1K
140.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.06 ZWL 268
$40.28 E£2,151
-75.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$9.48 ZWL 252
$49.53 E£2,645
-80.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$24.80 ZWL 660
$115 E£6,137
-78.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$20.27 ZWL 539
$60.0 E£3,206
-66.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$356 ZWL 9,462
$222 E£11.9K
60.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$253 ZWL 6,742
$195 E£10.4K
29.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$750 ZWL 19.9K
$550 E£29.3K
36.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$395 ZWL 10.5K
$346 E£18.5K
14.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$246 ZWL 6,539
$800 E£42.7K
-69.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$525 E£28.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mutare
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$247 ZWL 6,566
$200 E£10.7K
23.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.69
16.21
-15.55%

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

Last update for Mutare: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mutare
$253
Cairo
$195 23% $58
Groceries & Markets
Mutare
$155
Cairo
$142 8.4% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mutare
$125
Cairo
$50 60.1% $75
Eating Out
Mutare
$124
Cairo
$90 27.5% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Mutare
$60
Cairo
$39 34% $20
Getting Around
Mutare
$42
Cairo
$12 72.7% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Mutare
$29
Cairo
$119 310% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $356 in Mutare versus $222 in Cairo. 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 24% higher in Mutare, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Mutare versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $142 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇼 Mutare
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
01:03 1:03 AM
02:03 2:03 AM
1 h ahead of Mutare
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
188,243
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mutare Cairo 5,450 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mutare
  • Cairo

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
Mutare vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Mutare?
Yes – Mutare is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,183 per month in Mutare and $970 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Mutare and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Mutare, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Mutare or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Mutare and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Mutare or Cairo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $789 in Mutare and $647 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Mutare or Cairo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mutare makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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