Moving to United States from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zimbabwe to United States — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to United States, you would find that United States is 2.7 times more expensive than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly $201,000 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Washington averages 66°F vs 78°F in Harare, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Zimbabwe to United States.
What does your salary buy?
ZWL24,000,000 → $201,000
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.7 times more
Groceries
pay 89.7% more
Transportation
pay 3.0% more
Housing
pay 5.0 times more
Childcare
pay 4.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Zimbabwe to United States, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Zimbabwe to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
72.80,606
Zimbabwe
Key Indicator Comparison
How Zimbabwe and United States stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United States 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
United States 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 United States 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
United States 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
United States 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
United States 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), Internal Revenue Service (2016), The World Factbook (2010). 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 | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 United States than Zimbabwe?
Day-to-day costs in United States run about 169% higher than Zimbabwe on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZWL24,000,000 comparable salary, that's around $50,250 in United States for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United States?
With 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United States can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Zimbabwe and United States.
Is United States safe for expats?
United States performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 5.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Zimbabwe?
United States generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in United States compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. United States
At a Glance
ZW
|
US
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,950,795 | 341,784,857 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | United States Dollar ($) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | English |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +263 | +1 |
| Time zones | 1 | 11 |
| Emergency number | 999 | 911 |