Cost of Living Comparison Between Marondera and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Marondera and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $794 in Marondera versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,215 in Marondera versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,636 in Marondera versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Marondera costs roughly 23% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Marondera 41% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 ZWL 125

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-16.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 ZWL 1,288

$32.75 COP 118.2K

55.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ZWL 178

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

$1.70 COP 6,140

21.18%

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

$0.70 ZWL 17.76

$1.10 COP 3,966

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 11.84

$0.72 COP 2,605

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 38.71

$1.67 COP 6,022

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-33.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ZWL 24.75

$1.06 COP 3,809

-7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 25.76

$1.25 COP 4,497

-18.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ZWL 25.91

$1.39 COP 5,022

-26.62%

Eggs

$2.15 ZWL 54.4

$2.26 COP 8,168

-4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ZWL 254

$4.33 COP 15.6K

131.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 ZWL 130

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-12.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.09 ZWL 129

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-42.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 ZWL 76.6

$2.24 COP 8,099

35.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 42.68

$1.08 COP 3,882

56.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 ZWL 49.49

$1.53 COP 5,522

28.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 41.42

$1.37 COP 4,950

19.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 39.29

$1.13 COP 4,078

37.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ZWL 50.7

$1.12 COP 4,036

78.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ZWL 25.35

$0.85 COP 3,057

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ZWL 25.30

$0.91 COP 3,281

9.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.07 ZWL 27.03

$2.33 COP 8,414

-54.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.89 ZWL 98.5

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-65.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ZWL 28.31

$1.19 COP 4,309

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ZWL 43.99

$2.37 COP 8,553

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 ZWL 124

$1.44 COP 5,184

241.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ZWL 51.1

$1.91 COP 6,901

5.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 ZWL 124

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-38.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ZWL 38.79

$0.94 COP 3,385

62.77%

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

$19.8K ZWL 501.5K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

10.60%

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

$23.5K ZWL 595.7K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-12.11%

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

$59.3 ZWL 1,501

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-29.35%

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

$17.50 ZWL 443

$9.60 COP 34.7K

82.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.8 ZWL 2,298

$24.16 COP 87.2K

275.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 ZWL 256

$3.92 COP 14.1K

157.91%

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

$282 ZWL 7,144

$306 COP 1.1M

-7.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,244 ZWL 183.3K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

22.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.22 ZWL 486

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-66.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.21 ZWL 537

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-33.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.97 ZWL 885

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-64.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.93 ZWL 1,010

$107 COP 386.8K

-62.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ZWL 6,247

$487 COP 1.8M

-49.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 ZWL 6,263

$368 COP 1.3M

-32.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ZWL 9,935

$826 COP 3.0M

-52.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ZWL 9,017

$716 COP 2.6M

-50.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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 Marondera: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $247 in Marondera and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Marondera vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $190, with Marondera cheaper for home cooking.

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

Marondera vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marondera and Medellin differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($794 vs $1,034 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,190 in Marondera and $1,550 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $247 in Marondera versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Marondera versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marondera – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $794 in Marondera versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marondera but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Marondera the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Marondera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.