Moving to New Zealand from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zimbabwe to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 2.0 times more expensive than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly NZ$266,000 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Auckland averages 66°F vs 78°F in Harare, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is New Zealand cheaper than Zimbabwe?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.0 times more
Groceries
pay 45.7% more
Transportation
pay 14.7% more
Housing
pay 3.0 times more
Childcare
pay 2.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 80.9% 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.
What salary do you need in New Zealand?
What does your salary buy?
ZWL24,000,000 → NZ$266,000
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to New Zealand
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Zimbabwe to New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Zimbabwe to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
- · · ·
-
24.8,992
Zimbabwe
Key Indicator Comparison
How Zimbabwe and New Zealand stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in New Zealand vs Zimbabwe
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Harare | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Can you move from Zimbabwe to New Zealand?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting New Zealand
Visa Required
New Zealand 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 New Zealand than Zimbabwe?
Day-to-day costs in New Zealand run about 102% higher than Zimbabwe on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZWL24,000,000 comparable salary, that's around NZ$66,500 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
With 38.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Zimbabwe and New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
New Zealand performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Zimbabwe?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Auckland is 66°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Auckland receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. New Zealand
At a Glance
ZW
|
NZ
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,950,795 | 5,324,700 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +263 | +64 |
| Time zones | 1 | 5 |
| Emergency number | 999 | 111 |