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: $1,233 in Santiago versus $1,028 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,947 in Santiago versus $1,706 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Santiago versus $2,385 in Harare.

Living in Santiago is roughly 20% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 10% lower, Harare 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 CLP 10.1K

$9.95 ZWL 266

8.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 CLP 49.2K

$40.21 ZWL 1,074

31.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 CLP 8,516

$5.92 ZWL 158

54.56%

Cappuccino

$3.38 CLP 3,149

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

9.74%

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

$1.74 CLP 1,619

$0.93 ZWL 24.85

87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CLP 1,221

$0.49 ZWL 12.98

167.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 CLP 4,005

$1.48 ZWL 39.62

190.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CLP 4,599

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

140.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,272

$1.60 ZWL 42.62

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 CLP 1,727

$1.03 ZWL 27.52

80.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,572

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

3.05%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,848

$1.87 ZWL 49.85

121.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 CLP 10.6K

$11.97 ZWL 320

-4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 CLP 6,312

$5.52 ZWL 148

22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 CLP 10.6K

$6.50 ZWL 174

74.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 CLP 1,868

$3.15 ZWL 84.3

-36.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CLP 1,533

$1.60 ZWL 42.75

3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,624

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

-13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,660

$1.46 ZWL 38.96

21.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 CLP 1,041

$1.73 ZWL 46.35

-35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 CLP 1,499

$1.86 ZWL 49.82

-13.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 CLP 1,229

$1.17 ZWL 31.16

12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,047

$1.00 ZWL 26.59

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 CLP 5,224

$1.96 ZWL 52.5

186.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 CLP 5,833

$8.88 ZWL 237

-29.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CLP 1,488

$1.37 ZWL 36.54

16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CLP 2,335

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

29.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 777

$1.03 ZWL 27.39

-19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.10 CLP 39.2K

$60.3 ZWL 1,611

-30.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 CLP 384

$4.08 ZWL 109

-89.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 CLP 828

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

-56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 CLP 11.3K

$4.89 ZWL 131

148.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 CLP 1,478

$1.79 ZWL 47.90

-11.17%

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

$18.3K CLP 17.1M

$22.4K ZWL 599.2K

-18.20%

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

$22.5K CLP 20.9M

$27.4K ZWL 732.1K

-17.97%

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

$155 CLP 144.1K

$54.5 ZWL 1,456

184.27%

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

$13.12 CLP 12.2K

$21.79 ZWL 582

-39.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 CLP 19.4K

$67.5 ZWL 1,803

-69.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 CLP 32.5K

$48.78 ZWL 1,303

-28.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 CLP 11.6K

$22.89 ZWL 612

-45.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 CLP 7,151

$10.10 ZWL 270

-23.86%

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

$456 CLP 424.0K

$471 ZWL 12.6K

-3.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K CLP 10.6M

$9,024 ZWL 241.1K

25.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 CLP 49.5K

$24.01 ZWL 642

121.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 CLP 28.1K

$20.84 ZWL 557

44.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 CLP 65.2K

$38.96 ZWL 1,041

79.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 CLP 79.4K

$42.36 ZWL 1,132

101.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 516.8K

$410 ZWL 10.9K

35.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 CLP 361.7K

$320 ZWL 8,559

21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 CLP 1.0M

$823 ZWL 22.0K

31.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 CLP 760.8K

$744 ZWL 19.9K

9.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,686 CLP 2.5M

$932 ZWL 24.9K

188.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,689 CLP 2.5M

$385 ZWL 10.3K

597.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$836 CLP 777.9K

$430 ZWL 11.5K

94.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

13.69

-60.63%

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

Last update for Santiago: August 30, 2026

Last update for Harare: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $410 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 95% 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 $40.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $218 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 95% 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: $555 in Santiago versus $410 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Santiago versus $471 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 $1,028 in Harare versus $1,233 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 20% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.