Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $489 in Zimbabwe versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $817 in Zimbabwe versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,145 in Zimbabwe versus $846 in India.

Living in Zimbabwe is roughly 26% more expensive than India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Zimbabwe 64% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 ZWL 192

$2.49 ₹237

187.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 ZWL 1,343

$14.20 ₹1,353

252.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 ZWL 166

$3.98 ₹379

55.28%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ZWL 74.7

$1.88 ₹179

47.87%

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

$0.72 ZWL 19.45

$0.44 ₹41.98

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZWL 12.11

$0.19 ₹18.57

136.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.96

$2.02 ₹192

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

$3.45 ₹329

-40.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ZWL 41.50

$0.72 ₹68.3

115.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ZWL 26.10

$0.52 ₹49.26

86.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ZWL 48.71

$0.72 ₹68.7

151.39%

Eggs

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

$0.93 ₹88.8

132.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 ZWL 278

$5.24 ₹499

97.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 ZWL 155

$3.07 ₹292

87.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 ZWL 157

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 ZWL 70.4

$2.17 ₹207

20.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ZWL 48.32

$0.76 ₹72.2

136.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ZWL 57.2

$1.05 ₹100

102.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ZWL 42.71

$0.53 ₹50.7

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ZWL 42.77

$0.39 ₹37.53

307.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZWL 49.32

$0.49 ₹46.81

275.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ZWL 28.03

$0.52 ₹49.35

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ZWL 28.77

$0.33 ₹31.13

224.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 ZWL 36.61

$4.05 ₹386

-66.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 ZWL 184

$7.39 ₹704

-7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ZWL 31.45

$1.84 ₹175

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ZWL 47.96

$2.90 ₹277

-38.28%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ZWL 26.54

$0.36 ₹34.59

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.96 ZWL 804

$9.74 ₹928

207.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 ZWL 132

$0.95 ₹90.6

417.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

$0.30 ₹28.64

586.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 ZWL 138

$1.73 ₹165

197.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 ZWL 43.51

$1.23 ₹117

31.71%

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

$23.7K ZWL 637.3K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

71.35%

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

$24.3K ZWL 652.1K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

7.46%

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

$53.9 ZWL 1,448

$40.88 ₹3,894

31.90%

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

$17.47 ZWL 469

$3.91 ₹372

346.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.7 ZWL 2,407

$7.81 ₹744

1047.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.55 ZWL 1,277

$16.15 ₹1,538

194.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.72 ZWL 288

$7.49 ₹713

43.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 ZWL 268

$3.42 ₹326

192.11%

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

$222 ZWL 5,966

$69.9 ₹6,660

217.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,138 ZWL 218.5K

$1,793 ₹170.8K

353.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 ZWL 501

$25.83 ₹2,460

-27.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.11 ZWL 513

$26.61 ₹2,535

-28.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.68 ZWL 985

$45.24 ₹4,309

-18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.38 ZWL 1,138

$33.68 ₹3,208

25.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ZWL 9,020

$178 ₹17.0K

88.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ZWL 6,017

$115 ₹10.9K

95.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 ZWL 22.0K

$407 ₹38.8K

101.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ZWL 14.4K

$264 ₹25.1K

103.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$857 ZWL 23.0K

$1,240 ₹118.1K

-30.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$383 ZWL 10.3K

$631 ₹60.1K

-39.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$344 ZWL 9,233

$432 ₹41.2K

-20.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.5

9.02

49.67%

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

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 1, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $105 in Zimbabwe, $127 in India. Capital cities: $403 in Harare vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $356 in Zimbabwe, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 21% higher in India.

Dining out costs 191% more in Zimbabwe.

Salaries are 12% higher in India, giving India stronger purchasing power.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $576 per month in India and $496 in Zimbabwe, there's a 16% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Zimbabwe is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in India beats Zimbabwe across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Zimbabwe, $800 covers most cities easily. In India, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Zimbabwe wins on affordability; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.