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: $1,004 in Harare versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,655 in Harare versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,306 in Harare versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Harare costs roughly 3% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 25% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ZWL 251

$5.92 COP 21.5K

67.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.08 ZWL 1,241

$32.75 COP 119.1K

49.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 ZWL 172

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-5.56%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ZWL 75.8

$1.70 COP 6,186

76.47%

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

$0.66 ZWL 16.72

$1.10 COP 3,996

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 11.81

$0.72 COP 2,625

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ZWL 37.38

$1.67 COP 6,067

-11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ZWL 50.3

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-35.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ZWL 40.69

$1.06 COP 3,837

51.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZWL 25.57

$1.25 COP 4,531

-19.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 ZWL 48.62

$1.39 COP 5,060

38.13%

Eggs

$2.08 ZWL 52.7

$2.26 COP 8,229

-7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 ZWL 280

$4.33 COP 15.8K

155.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ZWL 165

$5.84 COP 21.2K

11.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 ZWL 158

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ZWL 76.8

$2.24 COP 8,159

35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 43.03

$1.08 COP 3,911

57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ZWL 56.1

$1.53 COP 5,563

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ZWL 42.06

$1.37 COP 4,987

21.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 39.29

$1.13 COP 4,109

37.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 ZWL 50.0

$1.12 COP 4,067

76.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ZWL 26.23

$0.85 COP 3,080

22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ZWL 25.45

$0.91 COP 3,305

10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.08 ZWL 27.34

$2.33 COP 8,477

-53.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 ZWL 220

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ZWL 29.55

$1.19 COP 4,342

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ZWL 45.52

$2.37 COP 8,617

-24.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZWL 24.77

$0.79 COP 2,859

24.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.32 ZWL 1,070

$41.13 COP 149.6K

2.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 ZWL 128

$1.44 COP 5,223

251.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ZWL 49.23

$1.91 COP 6,952

2.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 127

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-37.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ZWL 40.83

$0.94 COP 3,410

71.28%

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

$20.1K ZWL 508.6K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

12.21%

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

$23.3K ZWL 589.2K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-13.04%

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

$57.3 ZWL 1,450

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-31.72%

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

$17.82 ZWL 451

$9.60 COP 34.9K

85.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.1 ZWL 2,354

$24.16 COP 87.9K

285.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ZWL 1,331

$25.88 COP 94.1K

103.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.42 ZWL 365

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-24.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 ZWL 249

$3.92 COP 14.2K

151.28%

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

$275 ZWL 6,950

$306 COP 1.1M

-10.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,312 ZWL 184.9K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

23.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.61 ZWL 496

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-66.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.59 ZWL 546

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.05 ZWL 861

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-65.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.85 ZWL 1,008

$107 COP 389.7K

-62.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ZWL 9,937

$487 COP 1.8M

-19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ZWL 6,933

$368 COP 1.3M

-25.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 ZWL 24.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 ZWL 17.9K

$716 COP 2.6M

-1.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$892 ZWL 22.6K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-69.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$394 ZWL 9,973

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-71.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 ZWL 9,988

$546 COP 2.0M

-27.60%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Harare and $487 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 $221 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: $393 in Harare versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Harare versus $306 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 $1,004 in Harare versus $1,034 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.