Zimbabwe, Harare

Country Full Name: Republic of Zimbabwe.

Location: Zimbabwe is in Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia.

Country Climate: Tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March).

Country Terrain: Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east.

Major Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele.

Major Religions: Christianity, indigenous beliefs.

Population: 1.6 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Zimbabwe has reserves of metallurgical-grade chromite and commercial mineral deposits include coal, asbestos, copper, nickel, diamonds, gold, platinum and iron ore. However internal upheaval, population displacement, poverty, 94% unemployment and years of hyperinflation have negatively impacted the economy. The Zimbabwe dollar was abandoned in April 2009 when the US Dollar became legal tender, there is some evidence to suggest that this has helped slow the economic decline somewhat, however extreme hardship persists for majority of citizens.

Currency: US Dollar (USD).

Inflation: 4.3% (2011 est.).

Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe and largest city and its administrative, commercial, and communications centre.

Harare is a trade centre for tobacco, maize, cotton, and citrus fruits. Manufactures include textiles, steel, and chemicals, and gold is mined in the area.

The cost of living in Harare in Zimbabwe is low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Harare in Zimbabwe is currently ranked 481 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 611 places that are more expensive, and 168 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 719 places that are more expensive, and 60 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 163 places that are more expensive, and 616 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 565 places that are more expensive, and 214 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 212 places that are more expensive, and 567 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 691 places that are more expensive, and 88 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 689 places that are more expensive, and 90 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 639 places that are more expensive, and 140 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 173 places that are more expensive, and 606 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 490 places that are more expensive, and 289 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 174 places that are more expensive, and 605 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 508 places that are more expensive, and 271 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 110 places that are more expensive, and 669 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Harare in Zimbabwe are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Harare in Zimbabwe is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Harare in Zimbabwe are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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