Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and Italy

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimbabwe: $864 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zimbabwe
Italy
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$864
/mo nomad
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zimbabwe and in Italy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $864 in Zimbabwe versus $1,843 in Italy.

  • Zimbabwe $864
  • Italy $1,843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Zimbabwe versus $2,816 in Italy.

  • Zimbabwe $1,423
  • Italy $2,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,981 in Zimbabwe versus $3,788 in Italy.

  • Zimbabwe $1,981
  • Italy $3,788

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $579–$1,065 in Zimbabwe. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Living in Zimbabwe costs about 53% less than in Italy on average.

Zimbabwe (36% below) and Italy (35% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.28 ZWL 167
$20.46 €18.33
-69.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.61 ZWL 1,079
$79.5 €71.2
-48.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ZWL 147
$11.15 €9.99
-50.22%
Cappuccino
$2.58 ZWL 68.6
$2.04 €1.83
26.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 ZWL 19.55
$3.10 €2.78
-76.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ZWL 12.74
$1.40 €1.25
-65.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.47 ZWL 39.04
$5.51 €4.94
-73.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 ZWL 52.5
$5.74 €5.14
-65.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 ZWL 39.69
$1.57 €1.41
-5.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 ZWL 27.22
$2.38 €2.13
-57.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 ZWL 40.46
$2.90 €2.60
-47.59%
Eggs
$1.89 ZWL 50.3
$4.07 €3.65
-53.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.84 ZWL 261
$17.44 €15.63
-43.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.97 ZWL 132
$12.56 €11.25
-60.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.60 ZWL 149
$20.17 €18.07
-72.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 ZWL 72.3
$2.58 €2.31
5.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 ZWL 45.89
$2.19 €1.96
-21.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 ZWL 52.4
$2.68 €2.40
-26.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.36 ZWL 36.02
$3.27 €2.93
-58.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.62 ZWL 42.97
$1.90 €1.70
-14.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 ZWL 41.56
$1.82 €1.63
-14.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 ZWL 30.54
$1.57 €1.41
-26.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ZWL 26.30
$0.55 €0.49
80.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.05 ZWL 54.4
$6.69 €6.00
-69.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.92 ZWL 184
$7.99 €7.16
-13.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 ZWL 32.88
$1.77 €1.59
-29.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 ZWL 51.0
$2.35 €2.11
-18.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.98 ZWL 26.06
$1.91 €1.71
-48.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.26 ZWL 1,043
$43.44 €38.92
-9.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 ZWL 77.7
$5.62 €5.03
-48.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.97 ZWL 52.3
$1.71 €1.54
15.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.04 ZWL 134
$33.64 €30.14
-85.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 ZWL 47.24
$2.03 €1.82
-12.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ZWL 659.1K
$35.3K €31.6K
-29.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K ZWL 729.4K
$36.7K €32.9K
-25.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.2 ZWL 1,361
$227 €203
-77.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.70 ZWL 497
$11.59 €10.39
61.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.0 ZWL 1,860
$30.38 €27.22
130.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.11 ZWL 1,119
$51.8 €46.39
-18.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.29 ZWL 539
$23.70 €21.24
-14.39%
Cinema Ticket
$10.07 ZWL 267
$10.60 €9.50
-5.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$287 ZWL 7,613
$568 €509
-49.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,672 ZWL 203.8K
$11.5K €10.3K
-33.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.37 ZWL 515
$90.5 €81.1
-78.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.62 ZWL 468
$38.55 €34.55
-54.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$40.22 ZWL 1,069
$103 €92.0
-60.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$42.91 ZWL 1,140
$131 €117
-67.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$299 ZWL 7,942
$826 €740
-63.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$241 ZWL 6,409
$646 €579
-62.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$736 ZWL 19.6K
$1,400 €1,255
-47.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$557 ZWL 14.8K
$1,054 €945
-47.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$924 ZWL 24.6K
$3,662 €3,282
-74.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$397 ZWL 10.6K
$2,301 €2,062
-82.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zimbabwe
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$369 ZWL 9,804
$1,886 €1,690
-80.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.77
3.56
286.80%

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

Last update for Zimbabwe: October 27, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zimbabwe
$241
Italy
$646 168% $405
Groceries & Markets
Zimbabwe
$197
Italy
$348 76.6% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zimbabwe
$140
Italy
$269 91.9% $129
Eating Out
Zimbabwe
$114
Italy
$279 144% $165
Sport & Entertainment
Zimbabwe
$62
Italy
$73 17.2% $11
Getting Around
Zimbabwe
$56
Italy
$65 16.6% $9.3
Clothing & Footwear
Zimbabwe
$54
Italy
$163 202% $109

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $240 in Zimbabwe, $729 in Italy. Capital cities: $399 in Harare vs $1,297 in Rome.

National salary averages: $363 in Zimbabwe, $1,890 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 204% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 70% more in Italy.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are about 5.2 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
🇮🇹 Italy
🕒 Local time
06:53 6:53 AM
05:53 5:53 AM
1 h behind Zimbabwe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,178,979
58,850,717
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.67 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zimbabwe Italy 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zimbabwe
  • Italy

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Zimbabwe?
At $1,843 per month in Italy and $864 in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe comes out about 53% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Zimbabwe: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $240 in Zimbabwe. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Italy or to Zimbabwe?
It depends on what you’re after: Zimbabwe wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Zimbabwe vs other spots: cost of living compared

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