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: $1,002 in Harare versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,678 in Harare versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,354 in Harare versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Monthly costs are close between Harare and Medellin; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 25% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ZWL 270

$5.91 COP 18.9K

70.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 ZWL 1,319

$32.96 COP 105.2K

49.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 ZWL 192

$7.43 COP 23.7K

-3.10%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ZWL 78.7

$1.65 COP 5,276

78.79%

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

$0.71 ZWL 18.89

$1.10 COP 3,514

-35.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.37

$0.78 COP 2,491

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ZWL 39.59

$1.72 COP 5,484

-13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ZWL 54.2

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-36.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ZWL 42.76

$1.10 COP 3,521

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.39

$1.26 COP 4,015

-19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ZWL 50.7

$1.38 COP 4,407

37.68%

Eggs

$2.09 ZWL 55.8

$2.18 COP 6,950

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 ZWL 293

$4.49 COP 14.3K

144.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 ZWL 175

$5.79 COP 18.5K

13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 ZWL 167

$8.97 COP 28.6K

-30.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 ZWL 80.8

$2.32 COP 7,405

30.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ZWL 44.69

$1.06 COP 3,397

57.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ZWL 60.0

$1.52 COP 4,838

47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 43.84

$1.36 COP 4,327

20.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ZWL 39.93

$1.13 COP 3,599

31.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ZWL 53.1

$1.17 COP 3,738

70.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ZWL 26.80

$0.90 COP 2,876

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ZWL 27.48

$0.90 COP 2,861

14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.13 ZWL 30.24

$2.23 COP 7,128

-49.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 ZWL 248

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-23.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.62

$1.19 COP 3,793

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ZWL 46.39

$2.48 COP 7,920

-29.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZWL 27.47

$0.85 COP 2,723

21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.17 ZWL 1,127

$41.62 COP 132.8K

1.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 ZWL 137

$1.42 COP 4,518

261.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

$1.95 COP 6,223

0.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 ZWL 136

$7.89 COP 25.2K

-35.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 ZWL 43.21

$0.99 COP 3,160

63.64%

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

$19.7K ZWL 526.9K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

12.03%

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

$23.6K ZWL 630.1K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-12.00%

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

$59.4 ZWL 1,588

$83.0 COP 264.9K

-28.42%

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

$17.75 ZWL 474

$9.70 COP 30.9K

82.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.8 ZWL 2,505

$23.52 COP 75.0K

298.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 ZWL 1,436

$25.26 COP 80.6K

112.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.35 ZWL 383

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-24.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 ZWL 263

$3.95 COP 12.6K

149.11%

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

$273 ZWL 7,296

$316 COP 1.0M

-13.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,310 ZWL 195.3K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

22.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.62 ZWL 524

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-67.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.62 ZWL 578

$31.82 COP 101.5K

-32.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.26 ZWL 942

$102 COP 324.4K

-65.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.29 ZWL 1,077

$107 COP 342.8K

-62.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ZWL 10.8K

$475 COP 1.5M

-14.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ZWL 7,446

$374 COP 1.2M

-25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 ZWL 26.1K

$849 COP 2.7M

14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 ZWL 18.9K

$719 COP 2.3M

-1.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$915 ZWL 24.4K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-71.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$387 ZWL 10.3K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

-73.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$401 ZWL 10.7K

$624 COP 2.0M

-35.74%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Harare and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49.00 in Harare vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $193 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

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Medellin. 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: $405 in Harare versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Harare runs roughly 1% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,002 in Harare versus $1,003 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.

It comes down to priorities – Harare wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.