Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Zimbabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Zimbabwe

Name: Zimbabwe
Address: ZW

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $489 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $817 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $1,145 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

South Africa costs about 109% more than Zimbabwe on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Zimbabwe are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Zimbabwe 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$7.15 ZWL 192

26.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$50.0 ZWL 1,343

-21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$6.18 ZWL 166

-20.06%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$2.78 ZWL 74.7

-25.90%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.72 ZWL 19.45

31.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.45 ZWL 12.11

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.53 ZWL 40.96

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.55 ZWL 41.50

-28.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.97 ZWL 26.10

5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.81 ZWL 48.71

-13.81%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$10.37 ZWL 278

-25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$5.77 ZWL 155

-22.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$5.86 ZWL 157

14.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$2.62 ZWL 70.4

-40.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.80 ZWL 48.32

-20.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.13 ZWL 57.2

-32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$1.59 ZWL 42.71

-5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.59 ZWL 42.77

-23.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.84 ZWL 49.32

-30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$1.04 ZWL 28.03

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$1.07 ZWL 28.77

-12.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.36 ZWL 36.61

119.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$6.86 ZWL 184

-24.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.17 ZWL 31.45

18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.79 ZWL 47.96

-7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.99 ZWL 26.54

64.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$29.96 ZWL 804

50.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$4.92 ZWL 132

-77.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

-46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$5.14 ZWL 138

-5.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.62 ZWL 43.51

-23.46%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$23.7K ZWL 637.3K

-14.40%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$24.3K ZWL 652.1K

-3.38%

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

$113 R 1,843

$53.9 ZWL 1,448

110.37%

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

$32.36 R 526

$17.47 ZWL 469

85.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$89.7 ZWL 2,407

-53.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$47.55 ZWL 1,277

-33.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$10.72 ZWL 288

-10.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$9.99 ZWL 268

-31.63%

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

$187 R 3,039

$222 ZWL 5,966

-15.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$8,138 ZWL 218.5K

-46.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$18.67 ZWL 501

165.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$19.11 ZWL 513

59.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$36.68 ZWL 985

149.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$42.38 ZWL 1,138

86.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$336 ZWL 9,020

31.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$224 ZWL 6,017

63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$818 ZWL 22.0K

8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$535 ZWL 14.4K

35.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$857 ZWL 23.0K

27.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$383 ZWL 10.3K

103.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$344 ZWL 9,233

352.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

13.5

-14.44%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $105 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $403 in Harare.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $356 in Zimbabwe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 250% higher in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 327% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 118% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Zimbabwe, contributing to the overall 118% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zimbabwe, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Zimbabwe is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.