Moving to Zimbabwe from Australia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Zimbabwe — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Australia to Zimbabwe, you would find that Zimbabwe is 60.3% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly ZWL9,770,000 in Zimbabwe to maintain the same lifestyle.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Zimbabwe cheaper than Australia?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 61.4% less

Groceries

pay 41.9% less

Transportation

pay 10.5% less

Housing

pay 75.0% less

Childcare

pay 76.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 59.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 223.82 ZWL (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Zimbabwe?

What does your salary buy?

A$110,000 → ZWL9,770,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Zimbabwe

Calculate with your salary →

Get free moving quotes to Zimbabwe

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Australia and Zimbabwe stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AU
0.8
ZW
6.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AU
4.5
ZW
29.9

Australia performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AU
$7,691
ZW
$103
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AU
40.9
ZW
1.4

Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AU
10.0
ZW
56.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AU
14.1t
ZW
0.8t

Australia generally does better on environment, though Zimbabwe leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AU
36.5
ZW
1.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AU
4.7%
ZW
46.1%

Australia performs better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AU
4.1%
ZW
9.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AU
$65,130
ZW
$3,021

Australia performs better than Zimbabwe across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AU
83.0 yrs
ZW
63.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AU
3.1
ZW
62.4

Australia performs better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

Weather in Zimbabwe vs Australia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Sydney Rain: 48.1 in/yr (1223 mm)
72° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

Harare Rain: 33.1 in/yr (841 mm)
78° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Sydney Harare
Jan–Mar 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) 79°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/54°F (21°/12°C) 75°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) 76°/48°F (25°/9°C)
Oct–Dec 75°/61°F (24°/16°C) 82°/59°F (28°/15°C)
View all months
Month Sydney Harare
Jan 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.6°C) 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C)
Feb 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.7°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C)
Mar 78°/65°F (25.4°/18.1°C) 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C)
Apr 74°/60°F (23.3°/15.3°C) 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C)
May 69°/54°F (20.6°/12.5°C) 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C)
Jun 64°/49°F (18.0°/9.7°C) 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C)
Jul 63°/48°F (17.4°/8.7°C) 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C)
Aug 66°/49°F (18.9°/9.7°C) 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C)
Sep 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.0°C) 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C)
Oct 73°/58°F (22.8°/14.4°C) 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C)
Nov 75°/61°F (23.8°/16.3°C) 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C)
Dec 78°/65°F (25.5°/18.3°C) 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C)

Data: Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology, Meteorological Services Department Meteorological Services Department

Can you move from Australia to Zimbabwe?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Zimbabwe. To live, work, or study long-term in Zimbabwe, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zimbabwe's immigration authority.

Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

Visa on Arrival
Australia passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe passport

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Required
Zimbabwe passport holders need a visa to enter Australia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Zimbabwe than Australia?

Generally yes: Zimbabwe runs about 60% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Zimbabwe?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$110,000 comparable salary, that's around ZWL2,442,500 in Zimbabwe for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Zimbabwe?

With 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Zimbabwe can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Zimbabwe.

Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?

Australia performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.

How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Australia?

Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).

What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Australia?

The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 72°F in Sydney. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Sydney gets 48.1 in.

What language do they speak in Zimbabwe?

The official languages in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. In Australia, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

AU ZW
Population 27,614,411 16,950,795
Currency Australian Dollar (A$) Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL)
Languages English Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +61 +263
Time zones 8 1
Emergency number 000 999