Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $489 per month in Zimbabwe vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $817 per month in Zimbabwe vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,145 per month in Zimbabwe vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Zimbabwe is roughly 52% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Zimbabwe and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Zimbabwe 64% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 ZWL 192

$9.05 R 147

-20.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 ZWL 1,343

$39.48 R 642

26.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 ZWL 166

$4.94 R 80.3

25.10%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ZWL 74.7

$2.06 R 33.47

34.95%

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

$0.72 ZWL 19.45

$0.95 R 15.40

-24.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ZWL 12.11

$0.81 R 13.13

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.96

$2.21 R 35.90

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

$2.48 R 40.33

-17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ZWL 41.50

$1.11 R 18.07

39.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ZWL 26.10

$1.02 R 16.64

-4.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ZWL 48.71

$1.56 R 25.28

16.03%

Eggs

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

$2.34 R 38.05

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 ZWL 278

$7.73 R 126

34.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 ZWL 155

$4.49 R 73.1

28.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.86 ZWL 157

$6.73 R 109

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 ZWL 70.4

$1.56 R 25.40

67.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ZWL 48.32

$1.43 R 23.22

25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ZWL 57.2

$1.44 R 23.48

47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ZWL 42.71

$1.51 R 24.55

5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ZWL 42.77

$1.22 R 19.81

30.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ZWL 49.32

$1.28 R 20.74

43.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ZWL 28.03

$1.04 R 16.89

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ZWL 28.77

$0.94 R 15.21

13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 ZWL 36.61

$2.99 R 48.55

-54.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 ZWL 184

$5.16 R 83.8

32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ZWL 31.45

$1.39 R 22.55

-15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ZWL 47.96

$1.66 R 26.93

7.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ZWL 26.54

$1.63 R 26.48

-39.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.96 ZWL 804

$45.05 R 732

-33.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 ZWL 132

$1.13 R 18.41

335.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

$1.10 R 17.93

87.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 ZWL 138

$4.86 R 78.9

5.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 ZWL 43.51

$1.24 R 20.15

30.65%

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

$23.7K ZWL 637.3K

$20.3K R 330.2K

16.82%

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

$24.3K ZWL 652.1K

$23.5K R 381.4K

3.49%

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

$53.9 ZWL 1,448

$113 R 1,843

-52.46%

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

$17.47 ZWL 469

$32.36 R 526

-46.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.7 ZWL 2,407

$41.45 R 674

116.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.55 ZWL 1,277

$31.59 R 513

50.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.72 ZWL 288

$9.61 R 156

11.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 ZWL 268

$6.83 R 111

46.27%

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

$222 ZWL 5,966

$187 R 3,039

18.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,138 ZWL 218.5K

$4,362 R 70.9K

86.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 ZWL 501

$49.50 R 804

-62.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.11 ZWL 513

$30.42 R 494

-37.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.68 ZWL 985

$91.7 R 1,489

-59.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.38 ZWL 1,138

$78.9 R 1,281

-46.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ZWL 9,020

$442 R 7,175

-23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ZWL 6,017

$367 R 5,963

-38.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 ZWL 22.0K

$884 R 14.4K

-7.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ZWL 14.4K

$723 R 11.8K

-26.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$857 ZWL 23.0K

$1,090 R 17.7K

-21.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$383 ZWL 10.3K

$780 R 12.7K

-50.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$344 ZWL 9,233

$1,558 R 25.3K

-77.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.5

11.55

16.88%

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

Last update for Zimbabwe: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $105 in Zimbabwe vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $403 in Harare and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $356 in Zimbabwe vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 250% higher in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 327% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa 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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 118% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Zimbabwe, contributing to the overall 118% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Zimbabwe, but in South Africa 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.