Moving to Zimbabwe from Canada
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Canada to Zimbabwe — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Canada to Zimbabwe, you would find that Zimbabwe is 54.4% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$110,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly ZWL11,300,000 in Zimbabwe to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harare averages 78°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Canada to Zimbabwe.
What does your salary buy?
CA$110,000 → ZWL11,300,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zimbabwe
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 57.2% less
Groceries
pay 40.1% less
Transportation
pay 2.3% more
Housing
pay 73.1% less
Childcare
pay 55.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Canada to Zimbabwe.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Canada performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada generally does better on environment, though Zimbabwe leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Canada performs better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Canada performs better than Zimbabwe across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Canada performs better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2008). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ottawa | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Meteorological Services Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa on Arrival
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Canada
Visa RequiredData: 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 Canada?
Yes — Zimbabwe is on average about 54% cheaper than Canada. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Zimbabwe?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ZWL2,825,000 in Zimbabwe on a CA$110,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Zimbabwe?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Zimbabwe has 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?
Canada performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.0 in Canada.
How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Canada?
Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 28.2 in Canada. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Zimbabwe?
The official languages in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
Compare further: Canada vs. Zimbabwe
At a Glance
CA
|
ZW
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,651,653 | 16,950,795 |
| Currency | Canadian Dollar (CA$) | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) |
| Languages | English, French | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +1 | +263 |
| Time zones | 6 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 911 | 999 |