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: $1,288 in Santiago versus $990 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,020 in Santiago versus $1,688 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,752 in Santiago versus $2,385 in Harare.

Living in Santiago is roughly 30% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 4% lower, Harare 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 CLP 9,983

$9.92 ZWL 265

8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 CLP 51.0K

$49.31 ZWL 1,316

11.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,601

$7.09 ZWL 189

15.09%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 2,941

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

6.76%

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

$1.78 CLP 1,660

$0.70 ZWL 18.70

154.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,162

$0.46 ZWL 12.36

171.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 CLP 3,086

$1.53 ZWL 40.70

116.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 CLP 3,946

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

106.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,101

$1.57 ZWL 42.01

-24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 CLP 1,429

$0.97 ZWL 25.93

57.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 2,031

$1.86 ZWL 49.50

17.20%

Eggs

$4.19 CLP 3,898

$2.10 ZWL 55.9

99.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 CLP 9,913

$10.83 ZWL 289

-1.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 CLP 6,135

$6.23 ZWL 166

5.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 CLP 10.4K

$6.21 ZWL 166

79.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 CLP 1,947

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

-27.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,440

$1.69 ZWL 45.01

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 CLP 1,923

$2.17 ZWL 57.9

-4.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,730

$1.70 ZWL 45.39

9.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,820

$1.55 ZWL 41.36

25.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,514

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

-18.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,194

$1.03 ZWL 27.49

24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,160

$0.95 ZWL 25.31

31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 CLP 5,359

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

432.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 CLP 6,051

$9.32 ZWL 249

-30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,452

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CLP 2,308

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

45.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 788

$0.98 ZWL 26.27

-13.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.60 CLP 39.7K

$41.84 ZWL 1,116

1.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 477

$4.98 ZWL 133

-89.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CLP 1,351

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

-26.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.30 CLP 10.5K

$5.03 ZWL 134

124.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CLP 1,290

$1.55 ZWL 41.37

-10.32%

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

$19.5K CLP 18.2M

$19.9K ZWL 531.5K

-1.87%

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

$22.6K CLP 21.0M

$23.0K ZWL 613.8K

-1.94%

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

$134 CLP 124.6K

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

130.72%

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

$13.59 CLP 12.7K

$17.53 ZWL 468

-22.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 CLP 20.5K

$92.1 ZWL 2,456

-76.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.67 CLP 32.3K

$54.1 ZWL 1,442

-35.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 CLP 19.8K

$14.23 ZWL 380

49.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 CLP 5,857

$10.11 ZWL 270

-37.78%

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

$436 CLP 406.4K

$277 ZWL 7,384

57.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,744 CLP 8.1M

$7,215 ZWL 192.5K

21.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CLP 51.5K

$19.55 ZWL 522

183.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.30 CLP 30.1K

$21.55 ZWL 575

49.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CLP 71.9K

$35.11 ZWL 937

120.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 CLP 79.6K

$40.98 ZWL 1,093

108.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 CLP 479.3K

$398 ZWL 10.6K

29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 CLP 430.1K

$279 ZWL 7,436

65.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 920.7K

$954 ZWL 25.5K

3.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 CLP 856.6K

$695 ZWL 18.5K

32.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 CLP 2.7M

$934 ZWL 24.9K

207.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 CLP 2.6M

$390 ZWL 10.4K

607.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$803 CLP 747.6K

$400 ZWL 10.7K

100.76%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Harare: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Santiago and $398 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 101% 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: $55.0 in Santiago vs $49.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $217 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% higher in Santiago, 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: $515 in Santiago versus $398 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $277 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $990 in Harare versus $1,288 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 30% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.