Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mutare and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $789 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
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Mutare Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$789

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mutare and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in Mutare versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Mutare $789
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,220 in Mutare versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Mutare $1,220
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,651 in Mutare versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Mutare $1,651
Dubai $5,872

Living in Mutare costs roughly 73% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mutare is 42% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 ZWL 270

$12.67 AED 46.55

-19.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.07 ZWL 1,199

$81.7 AED 300

-44.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.42 ZWL 118

$9.34 AED 34.30

-52.68%

Cappuccino

$1.28 ZWL 34.07

$5.89 AED 21.62

-78.27%

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

$0.73 ZWL 19.54

$1.69 AED 6.20

-56.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.11

$0.78 AED 2.86

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZWL 32.33

$13.66 AED 50.2

-91.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ZWL 47.47

$13.49 AED 49.54

-86.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ZWL 32.42

$1.84 AED 6.78

-33.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ZWL 26.14

$1.50 AED 5.50

-34.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ZWL 35.28

$2.57 AED 9.45

-48.25%

Eggs

$1.87 ZWL 49.72

$3.32 AED 12.18

-43.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.92 ZWL 77.8

$12.60 AED 46.28

-76.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ZWL 107

$9.66 AED 35.46

-58.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.01 ZWL 133

$12.78 AED 46.93

-60.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ZWL 54.3

$2.60 AED 9.54

-21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.15

$1.90 AED 6.99

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$1.91 AED 7.02

7.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ZWL 26.18

$1.37 AED 5.02

-28.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ZWL 46.52

$1.13 AED 4.14

54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ZWL 26.33

$1.01 AED 3.71

-1.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ZWL 12.83

$1.44 AED 5.30

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ZWL 26.41

$0.67 AED 2.48

47.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

$5.88 AED 21.59

-79.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 ZWL 162

$16.15 AED 59.3

-62.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

$2.72 AED 10.00

-56.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ZWL 45.96

$3.08 AED 11.32

-43.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ZWL 20.48

$1.60 AED 5.87

-51.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 ZWL 704

$76.0 AED 279

-65.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ZWL 80.3

$3.24 AED 11.91

-6.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

$0.71 AED 2.61

178.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ZWL 131

$7.96 AED 29.22

-37.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 ZWL 49.42

$0.98 AED 3.62

89.80%

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

$21.6K ZWL 575.1K

$27.4K AED 100.6K

-21.08%

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

$23.6K ZWL 629.3K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

7.34%

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

$50.7 ZWL 1,349

$249 AED 913

-79.59%

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

$14.72 ZWL 392

$54.4 AED 200

-72.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 ZWL 1,580

$91.5 AED 336

-35.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 ZWL 1,063

$103 AED 380

-61.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.05 ZWL 134

$42.32 AED 155

-88.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 ZWL 263

$16.29 AED 59.8

-39.29%

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

$150 ZWL 4,002

$844 AED 3,098

-82.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,553 ZWL 227.6K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-53.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.06 ZWL 268

$67.0 AED 246

-84.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.48 ZWL 252

$57.9 AED 213

-83.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.80 ZWL 660

$102 AED 375

-75.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$20.27 ZWL 539

$98.7 AED 363

-79.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 ZWL 9,462

$2,393 AED 8,788

-85.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ZWL 6,742

$1,533 AED 5,630

-83.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ZWL 19.9K

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-83.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 ZWL 10.5K

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-86.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$246 ZWL 6,539

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-96.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 ZWL 6,566

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-92.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

4.54

201.54%

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

Last update for Mutare: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mutare

$253 32.1%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 505% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Mutare

$155 19.6%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 88.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mutare

$125 15.8%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 216% $270

Eating Out

Mutare

$124 15.8%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 146% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Mutare

$60 7.6%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 128% $76

Getting Around

Mutare

$42 5.4%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 110% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Mutare

$29 3.7%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 404% $118

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Mutare and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1302% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Mutare vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $292 per month, with Mutare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Mutare

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

2 h ahead of Mutare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,243

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mutare Dubai 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mutare
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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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mutare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 267% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1302% lower in Dubai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $356 in Mutare versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mutare runs roughly 187% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $150 in Mutare versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $789 in Mutare versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mutare but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Mutare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mutare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mutare and Dubai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mutare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 267% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.