Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimbabwe: $850 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$850

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zimbabwe and in Australia

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

A single person spends $850 per month in Zimbabwe vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

Zimbabwe $850
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $1,387 per month in Zimbabwe vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

Zimbabwe $1,387
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $1,923 per month in Zimbabwe vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

Zimbabwe $1,923
Australia $4,892

The cost of living in Zimbabwe is roughly 67% lower than in Australia on average.

Zimbabwe sits 37% below the global median, while Australia is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.26 ZWL 167

$17.35 A$24.97

-63.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.61 ZWL 1,054

$84.5 A$122

-53.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 ZWL 145

$10.98 A$15.79

-50.46%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ZWL 68.2

$3.84 A$5.53

-33.33%

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

$0.73 ZWL 19.49

$2.89 A$4.16

-74.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZWL 11.92

$2.29 A$3.29

-80.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ZWL 39.52

$7.79 A$11.21

-80.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ZWL 52.3

$8.42 A$12.12

-76.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ZWL 40.11

$1.75 A$2.52

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.16

$2.78 A$4.00

-63.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ZWL 40.85

$2.31 A$3.33

-33.77%

Eggs

$1.91 ZWL 50.8

$4.89 A$7.04

-60.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 ZWL 266

$9.95 A$14.32

0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ZWL 129

$9.06 A$13.03

-46.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.76 ZWL 153

$14.92 A$21.46

-61.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 ZWL 69.0

$3.65 A$5.25

-29.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ZWL 43.43

$3.03 A$4.36

-46.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ZWL 50.5

$3.24 A$4.66

-41.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ZWL 38.00

$4.69 A$6.76

-69.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ZWL 43.12

$2.85 A$4.11

-43.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ZWL 41.55

$2.32 A$3.34

-32.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ZWL 30.82

$2.43 A$3.50

-52.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ZWL 26.21

$1.66 A$2.39

-40.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ZWL 51.8

$38.47 A$55.4

-94.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 ZWL 187

$13.84 A$19.92

-49.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ZWL 34.68

$4.87 A$7.01

-73.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ZWL 50.8

$5.28 A$7.59

-63.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZWL 26.03

$2.71 A$3.90

-63.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.74 ZWL 1,004

$94.0 A$135

-59.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ZWL 77.8

$3.57 A$5.14

-18.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

$1.63 A$2.35

20.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 ZWL 134

$40.04 A$57.6

-87.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 ZWL 45.40

$1.33 A$1.91

28.57%

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

$25.3K ZWL 673.0K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-13.18%

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

$27.3K ZWL 725.6K

$25.7K A$37.0K

6.02%

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

$51.6 ZWL 1,372

$205 A$296

-74.89%

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

$18.97 ZWL 505

$28.24 A$40.63

-32.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 ZWL 1,873

$57.0 A$82.0

23.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 ZWL 1,086

$55.4 A$79.7

-26.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 ZWL 531

$19.46 A$28.01

2.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 ZWL 261

$15.06 A$21.66

-34.86%

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

$314 ZWL 8,368

$2,097 A$3,017

-85.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,886 ZWL 209.9K

$18.0K A$26.0K

-56.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.93 ZWL 504

$78.0 A$112

-75.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.57 ZWL 468

$55.3 A$79.6

-68.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.37 ZWL 1,048

$112 A$161

-64.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.36 ZWL 1,180

$122 A$175

-63.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 ZWL 7,710

$1,559 A$2,244

-81.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 ZWL 6,125

$1,215 A$1,748

-81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 ZWL 16.8K

$2,435 A$3,504

-74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ZWL 13.6K

$1,924 A$2,769

-73.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$929 ZWL 24.7K

$8,175 A$11.8K

-88.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$387 ZWL 10.3K

$6,060 A$8,721

-93.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$361 ZWL 9,605

$4,038 A$5,811

-91.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.77

5.94

131.82%

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

Last update for Zimbabwe: October 19, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zimbabwe

$230 27.1%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 428% $984

Groceries & Markets

Zimbabwe

$197 23.2%

Australia

$372 14.7% 89% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zimbabwe

$141 16.6%

Australia

$291 11.4% 106% $150

Eating Out

Zimbabwe

$113 13.3%

Australia

$294 11.6% 160% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Zimbabwe

$60 7.1%

Australia

$85 3.4% 41.5% $25

Getting Around

Zimbabwe

$54 6.4%

Australia

$117 4.6% 114% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Zimbabwe

$54 6.4%

Australia

$165 6.5% 205% $111

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $100 in Zimbabwe vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $384 in Harare and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $360 in Zimbabwe vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1264% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 173% more in Australia.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 970% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

00:18 12:18 AM

9 h ahead of Zimbabwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,178,979

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zimbabwe Australia 11,220 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Zimbabwe
Australia

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

Zimbabwe vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 199% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $100 in Zimbabwe.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Zimbabwe, adding to the overall 199% price gap.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zimbabwe, but in Australia 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.