Moving to Zimbabwe from Netherlands

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Netherlands to Zimbabwe, you would find that Zimbabwe is 62.8% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €67,000 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly ZWL9,010,000 in Zimbabwe to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harare averages 78°F vs 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Zimbabwe cheaper than Netherlands?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 69.5% less

Groceries

pay 34.8% less

Transportation

pay 39.4% less

Housing

pay 77.5% less

Childcare

pay 67.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 51.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 361.78 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?

€67,000 → ZWL9,010,000

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 Netherlands and Zimbabwe stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NL
0.7
ZW
6.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NL
3.4
ZW
29.9

Netherlands performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NL
$8,195
ZW
$103
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

NL
38.8
ZW
1.4

Netherlands 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

NL
13.0
ZW
56.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NL
6.6t
ZW
0.8t

Netherlands 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

NL
43.0
ZW
1.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NL
16.7%
ZW
46.1%

Netherlands 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

NL
3.9%
ZW
9.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$73,684
ZW
$3,021

Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Zimbabwe leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NL
82.0 yrs
ZW
63.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NL
3.4
ZW
62.4

Netherlands performs better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Zimbabwe vs Netherlands

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amsterdam Harare
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 79°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 75°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 76°/48°F (25°/9°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 82°/59°F (28°/15°C)
View all months
Month Amsterdam Harare
Jan 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C)
Feb 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C)
Mar 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C)
Apr 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C)
Jun 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C)
Sep 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C)
Oct 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C)
Nov 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C)

Data: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Meteorological Services Department Meteorological Services Department

Can you move from Netherlands to Zimbabwe?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.

Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

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

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Netherlands

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

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 Netherlands?

Generally yes: Zimbabwe runs about 63% cheaper than Netherlands 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around ZWL2,252,500 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 Netherlands and Zimbabwe.

Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?

Netherlands performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Netherlands.

How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Netherlands?

Netherlands 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 38.8 in Netherlands. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 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 Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.

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At a Glance

NL ZW
Population 18,087,633 16,950,795
Currency Euro (€) Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL)
Languages Dutch Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +31 +263
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 999