Living in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Bulawayo is a mid-sized inland city in Zimbabwe (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 20°C over the year with about 639 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,675 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Zimbabwe is possible, with conditions.

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Est. cost: €2,675; a month for a couple
Climate: 20°C; 639 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 48/100; country-level
Residency: Possible, with conditions; for most foreigners

Limited data for Zimbabwe. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Zimbabwe are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Zimbabwe, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

Healthcare

Zimbabwe scores 43 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 2% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Zimbabwe: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Safety and stability

Zimbabwe scores 48 out of 100 on safety, safer than 12% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 3.3 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Zimbabwe: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2022) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Possible, with conditions. Long-term residency realistically runs through the investor residence permit (an active business, with the cheapest tier needing a local joint-venture partner) or an employer-sponsored work permit, with permanent residence after five years; there is no retirement or passive-income route.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Zimbabwe:

Investment: about $100k (Zimbabwe Investor Residence Permit, cheapest tier USD 100,000 offshore capital in a ZIA-approved joint venture with a Zimbabwean (figure already in USD); USD 300,000 for a sole venture, USD 1,000,000 for direct permanent residence; as of June 2026)

For short visits, 41 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 157 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Climate

Bulawayo averages 20°C across the year with about 639 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 53% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,675 a month to live centrally in Bulawayo, 2% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 61% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Bulawayo

Is Bulawayo a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. It is weaker on safety, healthcare and political stability. Our figures for Zimbabwe are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, moderately wet climate (20°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Bulawayo and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Bulawayo?

We estimate about €2,675 a month for a couple living centrally, 2% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Zimbabwe, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Zimbabwe long term?

Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Long-term residency realistically runs through the investor residence permit (an active business, with the cheapest tier needing a local joint-venture partner) or an employer-sponsored work permit, with permanent residence after five years; there is no retirement or passive-income route. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $100k (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Bulawayo?

Bulawayo averages 20°C across the year with about 639 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 53% of the cities we track.