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 $1,137 per month in South Africa vs $487 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,773 per month in South Africa vs $803 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,408 per month in South Africa vs $1,119 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 133% higher than in 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 17% lower, Zimbabwe 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 R 184

$6.51 ZWL 174

72.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.86 R 702

$38.17 ZWL 1,023

12.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.77 R 94.4

$6.17 ZWL 165

-6.48%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R 39.51

$2.63 ZWL 70.6

-8.37%

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

$1.19 R 19.55

$0.73 ZWL 19.65

63.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.32

$0.52 ZWL 13.98

67.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 R 39.34

$1.49 ZWL 39.83

61.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 R 49.02

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

45.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.47

$1.51 ZWL 40.45

-17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 17.96

$0.98 ZWL 26.13

12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.93

$1.50 ZWL 40.15

18.00%

Eggs

$2.51 R 41.12

$1.89 ZWL 50.5

32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 R 139

$10.05 ZWL 269

-15.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R 88.6

$4.82 ZWL 129

12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 R 130

$5.86 ZWL 157

35.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.76

$2.77 ZWL 74.1

-34.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.60

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.34

$1.98 ZWL 53.0

-12.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.99

$1.37 ZWL 36.81

29.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.07

$1.56 ZWL 41.69

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.99

$1.60 ZWL 42.77

-8.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.55

$1.16 ZWL 30.99

7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.95

$1.07 ZWL 28.56

8.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 R 54.3

$2.01 ZWL 54.0

64.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.88 R 79.9

$7.15 ZWL 191

-31.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 R 25.02

$1.30 ZWL 34.84

17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 33.53

$1.96 ZWL 52.6

4.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 R 27.62

$0.97 ZWL 26.12

74.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 R 1,028

$45.40 ZWL 1,216

38.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 R 17.64

$2.97 ZWL 79.6

-63.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.46

$2.06 ZWL 55.1

-54.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 R 129

$5.06 ZWL 136

56.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.38

$1.76 ZWL 47.20

-18.75%

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

$36.6K R 599.6K

$24.5K ZWL 657.6K

49.15%

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

$31.1K R 509.6K

$27.3K ZWL 732.3K

13.83%

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

$131 R 2,147

$52.9 ZWL 1,418

147.67%

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

$35.38 R 579

$18.34 ZWL 491

92.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.24 R 676

$67.4 ZWL 1,807

-38.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.46 R 564

$42.60 ZWL 1,141

-19.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 R 194

$20.14 ZWL 540

-41.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 R 124

$9.88 ZWL 265

-23.28%

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

$231 R 3,791

$329 ZWL 8,821

-29.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,534 R 90.6K

$8,311 ZWL 222.7K

-33.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R 901

$19.78 ZWL 530

178.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 R 552

$18.25 ZWL 489

84.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R 1,643

$40.70 ZWL 1,090

146.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 R 1,498

$43.94 ZWL 1,177

108.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 R 8,209

$288 ZWL 7,726

73.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,854

$230 ZWL 6,159

82.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 R 15.6K

$634 ZWL 17.0K

50.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 R 13.5K

$519 ZWL 13.9K

59.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 R 19.0K

$916 ZWL 24.5K

26.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$788 R 12.9K

$395 ZWL 10.6K

99.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,542 R 25.3K

$359 ZWL 9,619

329.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

13.77

-18.37%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 13, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $444 in South Africa vs $102 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $320 in Bloemfontein and $401 in Harare.

Average salary: $1,543 in South Africa vs $361 in Zimbabwe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 335% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 48% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 327% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 132% 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 132% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 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.