Moving to Australia from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
Considering a move from Zimbabwe to Australia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to Australia, you would find that Australia is 2.5 times more expensive than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly A$269,000 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 78°F in Harare, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Zimbabwe and Australia.
What does your salary buy?
ZWL24,000,000 → A$269,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.6 times more
Groceries
pay 72.0% more
Transportation
pay 11.7% more
Housing
pay 4.0 times more
Childcare
pay 4.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.5 times more
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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Zimbabwe to Australia.
people moved from Zimbabwe to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
35.45,917
Zimbabwe
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Australia compared to Zimbabwe.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs significantly 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
Australia 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
Zimbabwe generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Australia performs significantly 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
Australia performs significantly 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
Australia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), Australian Taxation Office (2016), The World Factbook (2020). 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 | Harare | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Australia
Visa Required
Australia passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Zimbabwe?
On average Australia is around 152% pricier than Zimbabwe, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Budget about A$67,250 for 3 months in Australia (based on a ZWL24,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Australia: 36.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Australia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Australia safe for expats?
Australia performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Zimbabwe?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. Australia
At a Glance
ZW
|
AU
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,950,795 | 27,614,411 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | Australian Dollar (A$) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | English |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +263 | +61 |
| Time zones | 1 | 8 |
| Emergency number | 999 | 000 |