Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Zimbabwe

Name: Zimbabwe
Address: ZW

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimbabwe: $864 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Zimbabwe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Zimbabwe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $864 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

United States $2,734
Zimbabwe $864

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,423 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

United States $3,985
Zimbabwe $1,423

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $1,981 in Zimbabwe, rent included.

United States $5,235
Zimbabwe $1,981

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Zimbabwe ($579–$1,065), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 216% higher than in Zimbabwe on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Zimbabwe is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$6.28 ZWL 167

218.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$40.61 ZWL 1,079

97.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$5.55 ZWL 147

112.61%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.58 ZWL 68.6

115.12%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.74 ZWL 19.55

259.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.48 ZWL 12.74

352.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.47 ZWL 39.04

316.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.98 ZWL 52.5

301.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.49 ZWL 39.69

-30.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.02 ZWL 27.22

251.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.52 ZWL 40.46

197.37%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

126.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$9.84 ZWL 261

34.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$4.97 ZWL 132

153.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$5.60 ZWL 149

214.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.72 ZWL 72.3

94.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.73 ZWL 45.89

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

125.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.36 ZWL 36.02

250.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.62 ZWL 42.97

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.56 ZWL 41.56

101.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.15 ZWL 30.54

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.99 ZWL 26.30

137.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$2.05 ZWL 54.4

435.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$6.92 ZWL 184

117.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.24 ZWL 32.88

66.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

97.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

97.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$39.26 ZWL 1,043

51.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.92 ZWL 77.7

22.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

-4.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$5.04 ZWL 134

492.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.78 ZWL 47.24

-42.70%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$24.8K ZWL 659.1K

15.92%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.5K ZWL 729.4K

-4.53%

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

$218 $218

$51.2 ZWL 1,361

325.37%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$18.70 ZWL 497

234.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$70.0 ZWL 1,860

6.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$42.11 ZWL 1,119

-0.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$20.29 ZWL 539

12.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$10.07 ZWL 267

45.98%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$287 ZWL 7,613

419.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$7,672 ZWL 203.8K

229.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$19.37 ZWL 515

180.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$17.62 ZWL 468

142.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$40.22 ZWL 1,069

133.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$42.91 ZWL 1,140

164.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$299 ZWL 7,942

455.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$241 ZWL 6,409

458.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$736 ZWL 19.6K

264.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$557 ZWL 14.8K

289.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$924 ZWL 24.6K

255.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$397 ZWL 10.6K

524.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$369 ZWL 9,804

1064.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

13.77

-52.43%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zimbabwe: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Zimbabwe

$241 27.9% 82.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Zimbabwe

$197 22.8% 52.6% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Zimbabwe

$140 16.2% 60.6% $215

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Zimbabwe

$114 13.2% 65.2% $214

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Zimbabwe

$54 6.3% 60.6% $83

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Zimbabwe

$56 6.5% 30.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Zimbabwe

$62 7.2% 12.7% $9

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $240 in Zimbabwe. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $399 in Harare.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $363 in Zimbabwe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 575% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 74% more in the United States.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

15,178,979

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.67 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

ZWL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Zimbabwe 13,660 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

United States vs Zimbabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $240 in Zimbabwe.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Zimbabwe – part of why living there is about 68% cheaper overall.

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