Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $747 a month against $908 in Victoria Falls, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
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Bulawayo Living Index

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Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$908

/mo nomad

Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Victoria Falls and in Bulawayo

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

A single person spends $908 per month in Victoria Falls vs $747 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Victoria Falls $908
Bulawayo $747

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Victoria Falls vs $1,194 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Victoria Falls $1,479
Bulawayo $1,194

A family of three spends $2,051 per month in Victoria Falls vs $1,642 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Victoria Falls $2,051
Bulawayo $1,642

Victoria Falls costs about 22% more than Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Victoria Falls and Bulawayo are more affordable than the global median – Victoria Falls 33% lower, Bulawayo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.16 ZWL 270

$4.37 ZWL 116

132.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.27 ZWL 1,203

$29.90 ZWL 795

51.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ZWL 136

Cappuccino

$5.87 ZWL 156

$2.14 ZWL 56.8

174.30%

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

$0.98 ZWL 26.03

$0.52 ZWL 13.79

88.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ZWL 13.59

$0.36 ZWL 9.59

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 ZWL 131

$1.46 ZWL 38.92

236.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ZWL 54.1

$1.63 ZWL 43.27

25.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

$0.98 ZWL 26.05

5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

$1.55 ZWL 41.16

26.45%

Eggs

$3.54 ZWL 94.2

$1.86 ZWL 49.36

90.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.47 ZWL 65.7

$9.42 ZWL 250

-73.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 ZWL 162

$3.82 ZWL 102

59.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 ZWL 211

$4.60 ZWL 122

72.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ZWL 80.0

$1.80 ZWL 47.79

67.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 ZWL 79.3

$1.55 ZWL 41.15

92.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

$2.40 ZWL 63.8

23.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 ZWL 103

$1.04 ZWL 27.65

273.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 ZWL 33.50

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 ZWL 53.5

$1.44 ZWL 38.16

39.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 ZWL 52.8

$1.10 ZWL 29.27

80.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ZWL 40.97

$0.77 ZWL 20.45

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 ZWL 92.7

$1.51 ZWL 40.16

131.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.32 ZWL 540

$5.02 ZWL 133

304.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ZWL 36.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ZWL 48.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

$0.72 ZWL 19.06

172.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.51 ZWL 784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ZWL 81.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ZWL 26.26

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 134

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 ZWL 48.72

$1.69 ZWL 44.95

8.28%

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

$25.1K ZWL 667.3K

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

$25.4K ZWL 674.8K

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

$25.48 ZWL 677

$93.0 ZWL 2,472

-72.61%

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

$24.62 ZWL 654

$17.52 ZWL 466

40.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 ZWL 1,816

$107 ZWL 2,831

-35.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 ZWL 1,585

$30.99 ZWL 823

92.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 ZWL 399

$20.38 ZWL 542

-26.25%

Cinema Ticket

$20.10 ZWL 534

$10.09 ZWL 268

99.21%

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

$101 ZWL 2,697

$228 ZWL 6,051

-55.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,959 ZWL 158.3K

$3,484 ZWL 92.6K

71.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.75 ZWL 392

$20.95 ZWL 557

-29.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.41 ZWL 675

$11.80 ZWL 314

115.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 ZWL 1,612

$46.98 ZWL 1,248

29.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.84 ZWL 1,218

$57.8 ZWL 1,536

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ZWL 6,654

$172 ZWL 4,573

45.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ZWL 4,738

$106 ZWL 2,803

69.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 ZWL 13.0K

$406 ZWL 10.8K

21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ZWL 9,258

$323 ZWL 8,574

7.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,061 ZWL 54.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,031 ZWL 54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 ZWL 21.5K

$303 ZWL 8,056

166.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Victoria Falls: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria Falls

–

Bulawayo

$217 29.1%

Groceries & Markets

Victoria Falls

–

Bulawayo

$175 23.4%

Accommodation & Living

Victoria Falls

–

Bulawayo

$106 14.1%

Eating Out

Victoria Falls

–

Bulawayo

$91 12.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria Falls

–

Bulawayo

$62 8.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria Falls

–

Bulawayo

$51 6.9%

Getting Around

Victoria Falls

–

Bulawayo

$45 6.1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $250 in Victoria Falls versus $172 in Bulawayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Victoria Falls are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Victoria Falls versus $30 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $175 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

Same time as Victoria Falls

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,215

653,337

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Victoria Falls Bulawayo 380 km

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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

Victoria Falls vs Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Victoria Falls is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,361 per month in Victoria Falls and $1,120 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $250 in Victoria Falls.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $908 in Victoria Falls and $747 in Bulawayo. That makes Bulawayo about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $101 per month in Victoria Falls and $228 in Bulawayo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $908 in Victoria Falls and $747 in Bulawayo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Bulawayo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Victoria Falls makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.