Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria Falls and Mutare

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $780 a month against $905 in Victoria Falls, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Victoria Falls despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Mutare
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Mutare Living Index

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Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$905

/mo nomad

Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$780

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mutare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $905 per month in Victoria Falls vs $780 in Mutare, rent included.

Victoria Falls $905
Mutare $780

A couple spends around $1,471 per month in Victoria Falls vs $1,212 in Mutare, rent included.

Victoria Falls $1,471
Mutare $1,212

A family of three spends $2,037 per month in Victoria Falls vs $1,643 in Mutare, rent included.

Victoria Falls $2,037
Mutare $1,643

Victoria Falls costs about 16% more than Mutare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Victoria Falls and Mutare are more affordable than the global median – Victoria Falls 33% lower, Mutare 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.16 ZWL 270

$9.80 ZWL 260

3.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.97 ZWL 1,194

$44.81 ZWL 1,189

0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.48 ZWL 119

Cappuccino

$6.02 ZWL 160

$1.21 ZWL 32.22

397.52%

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

$0.99 ZWL 26.14

$0.73 ZWL 19.31

35.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZWL 12.88

$0.47 ZWL 12.35

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 ZWL 135

$1.24 ZWL 32.84

310.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ZWL 48.80

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

$1.22 ZWL 32.51

60.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 26.95

$0.98 ZWL 26.02

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ZWL 53.6

$1.27 ZWL 33.79

59.06%

Eggs

$3.53 ZWL 93.7

$1.92 ZWL 50.9

83.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.47 ZWL 65.5

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

-16.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 ZWL 157

$3.91 ZWL 104

51.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 ZWL 206

$5.12 ZWL 136

51.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ZWL 79.0

$2.06 ZWL 54.6

44.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 ZWL 77.8

$1.72 ZWL 45.56

70.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ZWL 77.7

$2.05 ZWL 54.5

42.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 ZWL 104

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

282.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ZWL 44.33

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 ZWL 53.9

$0.97 ZWL 25.80

109.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 ZWL 51.8

$0.52 ZWL 13.81

275.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ZWL 40.42

$1.00 ZWL 26.47

52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ZWL 92.9

$1.19 ZWL 31.49

194.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.76 ZWL 524

$5.85 ZWL 155

237.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ZWL 32.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ZWL 44.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 ZWL 54.2

$0.73 ZWL 19.26

179.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.36 ZWL 726

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ZWL 79.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ZWL 26.83

$2.03 ZWL 53.9

-50.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 ZWL 134

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 ZWL 48.67

$1.81 ZWL 47.99

1.10%

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

$21.8K ZWL 577.9K

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

$24.1K ZWL 640.4K

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

$24.51 ZWL 651

$50.3 ZWL 1,336

-51.31%

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

$24.62 ZWL 653

$14.71 ZWL 390

67.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 ZWL 1,782

$59.6 ZWL 1,583

12.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ZWL 1,566

$39.90 ZWL 1,059

47.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.04 ZWL 399

$4.95 ZWL 131

203.84%

Cinema Ticket

$19.65 ZWL 522

$10.17 ZWL 270

93.22%

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

$98.9 ZWL 2,623

$150 ZWL 3,983

-34.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,881 ZWL 156.1K

$8,598 ZWL 228.2K

-31.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.74 ZWL 391

$9.93 ZWL 263

48.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.34 ZWL 673

$9.69 ZWL 257

161.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 ZWL 1,568

$25.39 ZWL 674

132.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.40 ZWL 1,205

$20.14 ZWL 534

125.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 ZWL 6,536

$356 ZWL 9,447

-30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ZWL 4,808

$247 ZWL 6,542

-26.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ZWL 13.2K

$747 ZWL 19.8K

-33.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ZWL 9,192

$393 ZWL 10.4K

-11.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$254 ZWL 6,751

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$816 ZWL 21.6K

$254 ZWL 6,728

221.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

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

Last update for Victoria Falls: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mutare: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria Falls

–

Mutare

$247 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Victoria Falls

–

Mutare

$155 19.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria Falls

–

Mutare

$125 16%

Eating Out

Victoria Falls

–

Mutare

$121 15.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria Falls

–

Mutare

$60 7.7%

Getting Around

Victoria Falls

–

Mutare

$43 5.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria Falls

–

Mutare

$29 3.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $246 in Victoria Falls versus $356 in Mutare. 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 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Victoria Falls versus $45 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Victoria Falls vs $155 in Mutare – so Mutare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Mutare

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as Victoria Falls

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,215

188,243

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.77 USD

100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.77 USD

100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Victoria Falls Mutare 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Victoria Falls
Mutare

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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Victoria Falls is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,357 per month in Victoria Falls and $1,170 in Mutare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Victoria Falls, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $246 there versus $356 in Mutare.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Victoria Falls, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Victoria Falls and $150 in Mutare. 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 $905 in Victoria Falls and $780 in Mutare, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

If budget matters most, go with Mutare. 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.