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: $1,046 in Harare versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,730 in Harare versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Harare versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Harare costs roughly 36% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harare is 24% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ZWL 270

$8.04 COP 24.8K

26.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 ZWL 157

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-37.47%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ZWL 82.9

$2.94 COP 9,040

5.78%

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

$1.00 ZWL 26.63

$1.86 COP 5,735

-46.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ZWL 13.96

$1.46 COP 4,479

-64.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 ZWL 39.63

$3.21 COP 9,882

-53.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ZWL 52.3

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-65.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ZWL 40.63

$1.44 COP 4,428

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ZWL 27.63

$2.40 COP 7,389

-56.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.17

$1.70 COP 5,228

Eggs

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

$2.89 COP 8,896

-32.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 ZWL 321

$10.06 COP 30.9K

19.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.66 ZWL 151

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-43.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ZWL 180

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-52.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-23.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ZWL 44.78

$1.58 COP 4,878

6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 ZWL 55.4

$2.15 COP 6,624

-3.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ZWL 39.37

$2.30 COP 7,078

-35.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ZWL 46.19

$2.00 COP 6,169

-13.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ZWL 47.80

$1.51 COP 4,646

18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ZWL 32.22

$1.20 COP 3,701

0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ZWL 26.62

$1.28 COP 3,946

-21.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

$3.84 COP 11.8K

-48.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 ZWL 245

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-34.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ZWL 36.24

$1.71 COP 5,256

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

$2.74 COP 8,440

-28.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ZWL 27.03

$1.25 COP 3,834

-19.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 ZWL 1,584

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-23.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 ZWL 107

$1.31 COP 4,016

207.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 ZWL 54.8

$2.17 COP 6,680

-5.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ZWL 133

$8.29 COP 25.5K

-39.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 ZWL 49.74

$1.36 COP 4,172

37.50%

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

$22.2K ZWL 591.1K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

-19.27%

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

$27.2K ZWL 724.3K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-25.62%

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

$55.1 ZWL 1,468

$169 COP 519.2K

-67.36%

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

$22.06 ZWL 588

$13.57 COP 41.8K

62.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 ZWL 1,801

$28.32 COP 87.2K

138.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.71 ZWL 1,325

$45.71 COP 140.7K

8.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.67 ZWL 604

$17.22 COP 53.0K

31.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 ZWL 263

$6.65 COP 20.5K

48.42%

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

$459 ZWL 12.2K

$803 COP 2.5M

-42.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 ZWL 238.2K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-2.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.74 ZWL 659

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-71.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.99 ZWL 559

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-64.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

$139 COP 427.5K

-71.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.14 ZWL 1,123

$102 COP 314.0K

-58.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 ZWL 10.6K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-62.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 ZWL 8,374

$653 COP 2.0M

-51.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ZWL 22.3K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-56.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 ZWL 20.0K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-28.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$937 ZWL 25.0K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-77.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$385 ZWL 10.3K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-77.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$428 ZWL 11.4K

$655 COP 2.0M

-34.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

10.94

25.14%

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

Last update for Harare: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Harare and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 53% 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: $39.00 in Harare vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $300 per month, with Harare 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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: $399 in Harare versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Harare versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,046 in Harare versus $1,641 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 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.