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 $491 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $821 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $1,151 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 108% 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 24% lower, Zimbabwe 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$7.10 ZWL 190

28.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$50.9 ZWL 1,359

-23.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$6.06 ZWL 162

-14.36%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$2.69 ZWL 71.7

-26.39%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.73 ZWL 19.36

36.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.49 ZWL 12.99

61.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$1.47 ZWL 39.29

50.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

31.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$1.57 ZWL 42.02

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$1.03 ZWL 27.38

-5.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.83 ZWL 48.77

-15.85%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.05 ZWL 54.8

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$10.19 ZWL 272

-22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$5.51 ZWL 147

-16.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$5.84 ZWL 156

14.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$2.65 ZWL 70.6

-40.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.72 ZWL 45.84

-14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$2.07 ZWL 55.1

-26.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.61 ZWL 42.97

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$1.56 ZWL 41.64

-19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.80 ZWL 48.15

-29.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$1.09 ZWL 29.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$1.08 ZWL 28.74

-10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.38 ZWL 36.83

105.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$6.84 ZWL 182

-23.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$1.15 ZWL 30.56

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$1.79 ZWL 47.65

-3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$1.01 ZWL 27.00

70.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$29.60 ZWL 790

49.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$5.14 ZWL 137

-77.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$2.02 ZWL 53.8

-47.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$5.13 ZWL 137

-7.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.62 ZWL 43.12

-20.99%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$23.1K ZWL 616.7K

-11.89%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$24.4K ZWL 650.7K

-1.66%

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

$113 R 1,869

$53.8 ZWL 1,435

109.91%

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

$32.35 R 536

$17.22 ZWL 459

87.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$90.0 ZWL 2,401

-53.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$47.26 ZWL 1,261

-34.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$11.08 ZWL 295

-12.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$10.13 ZWL 270

-34.16%

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

$186 R 3,072

$225 ZWL 5,995

-17.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$8,093 ZWL 215.9K

-45.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$19.09 ZWL 509

162.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$19.59 ZWL 523

55.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$37.25 ZWL 994

150.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$41.76 ZWL 1,114

92.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$332 ZWL 8,862

32.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$229 ZWL 6,115

62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$810 ZWL 21.6K

11.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$546 ZWL 14.6K

29.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$936 ZWL 25.0K

19.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$395 ZWL 10.5K

100.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$341 ZWL 9,090

341.95%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $105 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $398 in Harare.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $355 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 100% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 326% 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 119% 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 119% 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.