Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Harare Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Harare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Santiago versus $991 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,013 in Santiago versus $1,659 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Santiago versus $2,327 in Harare.

Living in Santiago is roughly 28% more expensive than Harare, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 5% lower, Harare 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.93 CLP 9,698

$10.14 ZWL 272

7.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 CLP 47.1K

$50.2 ZWL 1,347

5.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 CLP 7,367

$7.03 ZWL 189

18.07%

Cappuccino

$3.11 CLP 2,762

$2.89 ZWL 77.7

7.61%

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

$1.79 CLP 1,587

$0.67 ZWL 17.95

167.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 CLP 1,144

$0.47 ZWL 12.67

174.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 CLP 2,829

$1.47 ZWL 39.53

117.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 CLP 3,897

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

113.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,061

$1.63 ZWL 43.68

-26.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 CLP 1,409

$1.03 ZWL 27.54

54.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 1,931

$1.89 ZWL 50.7

15.34%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,671

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

91.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 CLP 9,456

$10.78 ZWL 289

-1.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 CLP 5,748

$6.24 ZWL 168

3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 CLP 9,579

$6.24 ZWL 168

72.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 CLP 1,779

$2.97 ZWL 79.9

-32.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,450

$1.64 ZWL 44.15

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 CLP 1,891

$2.28 ZWL 61.3

-6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,630

$1.66 ZWL 44.55

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,734

$1.51 ZWL 40.67

29.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 CLP 1,487

$1.99 ZWL 53.3

-15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 CLP 1,147

$0.98 ZWL 26.22

31.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,054

$0.97 ZWL 26.01

22.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 CLP 4,935

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

396.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 CLP 6,010

$9.18 ZWL 247

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,365

$1.18 ZWL 31.79

30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CLP 2,195

$1.71 ZWL 45.84

44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 754

$0.97 ZWL 26.15

-12.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.05 CLP 37.3K

$43.15 ZWL 1,159

-2.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 CLP 445

$4.89 ZWL 131

-89.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CLP 1,268

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

-30.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 CLP 10.4K

$4.95 ZWL 133

136.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,215

$1.57 ZWL 42.13

-12.74%

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

$19.6K CLP 17.4M

$19.8K ZWL 530.5K

-0.63%

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

$22.6K CLP 20.1M

$23.9K ZWL 640.7K

-5.30%

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

$133 CLP 118.4K

$58.6 ZWL 1,573

127.72%

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

$13.65 CLP 12.1K

$17.79 ZWL 478

-23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.85 CLP 19.4K

$93.2 ZWL 2,501

-76.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.74 CLP 29.9K

$53.5 ZWL 1,437

-36.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

$14.20 ZWL 381

47.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 CLP 5,817

$9.93 ZWL 267

-34.04%

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

$436 CLP 387.1K

$283 ZWL 7,599

54.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

$7,356 ZWL 197.5K

17.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CLP 48.8K

$19.00 ZWL 510

189.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.75 CLP 29.1K

$21.04 ZWL 565

55.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 CLP 67.4K

$34.77 ZWL 934

118.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 CLP 74.1K

$40.05 ZWL 1,075

108.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 CLP 460.6K

$403 ZWL 10.8K

28.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 CLP 415.5K

$280 ZWL 7,527

67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 897.8K

$941 ZWL 25.3K

7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 CLP 787.7K

$688 ZWL 18.5K

28.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

$899 ZWL 24.1K

221.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

$390 ZWL 10.5K

642.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$884 CLP 784.5K

$393 ZWL 10.6K

124.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

13.31

-61.08%

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

Last update for Santiago: May 31, 2026

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Santiago and $403 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 125% 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: $53.0 in Santiago vs $50.0 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $219 per month, with Harare cheaper across the board.

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

Santiago vs Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santiago pays 125% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $519 in Santiago versus $403 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $283 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,270 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.