Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Harare versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Harare versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,335 in Harare versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Harare costs roughly 2% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 26% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 ZWL 271

$5.95 COP 20.8K

69.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.12 ZWL 1,315

$33.33 COP 116.3K

47.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 ZWL 188

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-3.04%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ZWL 78.1

$1.63 COP 5,687

79.14%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ZWL 18.12

$1.09 COP 3,821

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ZWL 11.59

$0.73 COP 2,548

-41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ZWL 40.73

$1.74 COP 6,065

-12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ZWL 52.0

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-39.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ZWL 43.48

$1.05 COP 3,662

54.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.41

$1.29 COP 4,515

-20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ZWL 51.7

$1.32 COP 4,617

46.21%

Eggs

$2.09 ZWL 56.0

$2.27 COP 7,927

-7.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ZWL 291

$4.35 COP 15.2K

149.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 ZWL 173

$5.88 COP 20.5K

9.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 ZWL 166

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-27.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ZWL 80.6

$2.25 COP 7,844

33.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ZWL 45.09

$1.07 COP 3,733

57.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ZWL 59.0

$1.52 COP 5,322

44.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 ZWL 45.73

$1.42 COP 4,964

20.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ZWL 39.76

$1.17 COP 4,084

27.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

$1.17 COP 4,077

76.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ZWL 27.55

$0.89 COP 3,096

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ZWL 25.47

$0.90 COP 3,146

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.11 ZWL 29.74

$2.25 COP 7,837

-50.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 ZWL 239

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ZWL 30.03

$1.14 COP 3,977

-1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ZWL 47.25

$2.38 COP 8,301

-25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ZWL 27.37

$0.84 COP 2,916

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.56 ZWL 1,139

$41.95 COP 146.4K

1.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 ZWL 135

$1.41 COP 4,912

258.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 53.1

$1.90 COP 6,634

4.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 ZWL 137

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-33.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ZWL 43.06

$1.01 COP 3,509

59.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.0K ZWL 535.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

13.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.6K ZWL 632.9K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-10.77%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$58.9 ZWL 1,576

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-29.67%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.40 ZWL 466

$9.45 COP 33.0K

84.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.1 ZWL 2,519

$24.11 COP 84.1K

290.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ZWL 1,426

$25.31 COP 88.3K

110.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.15 ZWL 379

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-26.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 ZWL 266

$4.10 COP 14.3K

142.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$279 ZWL 7,477

$312 COP 1.1M

-10.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,278 ZWL 194.8K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

21.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.51 ZWL 522

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-66.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.18 ZWL 567

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-34.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.22 ZWL 916

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-65.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.55 ZWL 1,085

$109 COP 378.8K

-62.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$482 COP 1.7M

-16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ZWL 7,502

$379 COP 1.3M

-26.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 ZWL 25.9K

$837 COP 2.9M

15.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 ZWL 18.6K

$723 COP 2.5M

-3.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$919 ZWL 24.6K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-67.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$387 ZWL 10.4K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-68.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 ZWL 10.5K

$541 COP 1.9M

-27.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.31

13.43

-0.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Harare: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Harare and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Harare vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Harare vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Medellin earns 38% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Harare versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Harare versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.