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: $785 in Marondera versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,172 in Marondera versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,559 in Marondera versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Marondera costs roughly 53% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Marondera is 43% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 ZWL 132

$8.02 COP 25.5K

-38.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.97 ZWL 1,065

$47.87 COP 152.0K

-16.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 ZWL 162

$9.89 COP 31.4K

-38.52%

Cappuccino

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

$3.13 COP 9,941

-34.50%

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

$1.00 ZWL 26.77

$1.91 COP 6,061

-47.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ZWL 14.12

$1.51 COP 4,796

-64.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.84

$3.12 COP 9,921

-50.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ZWL 53.8

$5.75 COP 18.3K

-64.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ZWL 26.38

$1.44 COP 4,590

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.45

$2.49 COP 7,898

-58.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ZWL 25.87

$1.77 COP 5,634

-45.20%

Eggs

$1.85 ZWL 49.24

$2.96 COP 9,400

-37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ZWL 268

$10.07 COP 32.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 ZWL 132

$10.12 COP 32.1K

-50.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.02 ZWL 134

$14.30 COP 45.4K

-64.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 ZWL 83.9

$4.14 COP 13.1K

-23.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ZWL 44.57

$1.61 COP 5,109

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

$2.25 COP 7,132

-13.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ZWL 38.81

$2.25 COP 7,154

-35.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ZWL 43.99

$2.04 COP 6,489

-19.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 ZWL 47.85

$1.54 COP 4,876

16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ZWL 32.53

$1.17 COP 3,716

4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ZWL 27.81

$1.31 COP 4,150

-20.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 ZWL 52.7

$3.90 COP 12.4K

-49.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.97 ZWL 106

$14.01 COP 44.5K

-71.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 ZWL 36.75

$1.74 COP 5,536

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ZWL 54.1

$2.87 COP 9,116

-29.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 ZWL 110

$1.31 COP 4,157

213.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ZWL 53.6

$2.19 COP 6,947

-8.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ZWL 132

$8.71 COP 27.7K

-43.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 ZWL 47.99

$1.37 COP 4,336

31.39%

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

$22.0K ZWL 587.4K

$27.8K COP 88.4M

-20.81%

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

$27.7K ZWL 737.3K

$35.8K COP 113.6M

-22.67%

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

$53.6 ZWL 1,429

$177 COP 563.1K

-69.75%

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

$21.55 ZWL 574

$13.88 COP 44.1K

55.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 ZWL 1,789

$29.72 COP 94.4K

125.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 ZWL 263

$6.65 COP 21.1K

48.27%

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

$453 ZWL 12.1K

$813 COP 2.6M

-44.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,201 ZWL 245.2K

$9,187 COP 29.2M

0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.22 ZWL 645

$89.5 COP 284.3K

-72.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.31 ZWL 568

$59.0 COP 187.3K

-63.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.31 ZWL 1,074

$138 COP 439.0K

-70.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.21 ZWL 1,098

$102 COP 324.4K

-59.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 ZWL 6,743

$1,062 COP 3.4M

-76.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 ZWL 6,637

$663 COP 2.1M

-62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 ZWL 10.5K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-79.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ZWL 9,276

$1,027 COP 3.3M

-66.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

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 Marondera: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Marondera and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Marondera vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $305 per month, with Marondera 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

Marondera vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marondera and Medellin differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($785 vs $1,681 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,177 in Marondera and $2,521 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: $253 in Marondera versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Marondera versus $813 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 $40.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Marondera versus $1,681 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 114% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.