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: $806 in Marondera versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,192 in Marondera versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,577 in Marondera versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Marondera costs roughly 21% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Marondera 40% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 ZWL 136

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-14.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 ZWL 1,365

$33.33 COP 116.3K

52.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 ZWL 190

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-1.66%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ZWL 54.6

$1.63 COP 5,687

25.15%

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

$0.67 ZWL 17.93

$1.09 COP 3,821

-38.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ZWL 11.58

$0.73 COP 2,548

-41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.95

$1.74 COP 6,065

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-39.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ZWL 27.35

$1.05 COP 3,662

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZWL 27.15

$1.29 COP 4,515

-21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ZWL 26.41

$1.32 COP 4,617

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.14 ZWL 57.2

$2.27 COP 7,927

-5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 ZWL 272

$4.35 COP 15.2K

133.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ZWL 130

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-17.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 ZWL 135

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-41.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ZWL 80.1

$2.25 COP 7,844

32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ZWL 44.13

$1.07 COP 3,733

54.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

$1.52 COP 5,322

34.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ZWL 44.51

$1.42 COP 4,964

16.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.51

$1.17 COP 4,084

32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

$1.17 COP 4,077

68.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ZWL 27.06

$0.89 COP 3,096

13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ZWL 27.05

$0.90 COP 3,146

12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.13 ZWL 30.18

$2.25 COP 7,837

-49.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.88 ZWL 104

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ZWL 31.24

$1.14 COP 3,977

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ZWL 48.10

$2.38 COP 8,301

-24.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 ZWL 132

$1.41 COP 4,912

248.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ZWL 52.6

$1.90 COP 6,634

3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 ZWL 133

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-36.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 41.98

$1.01 COP 3,509

55.45%

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

$19.8K ZWL 529.9K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

12.60%

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

$23.7K ZWL 633.7K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-10.65%

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

$59.3 ZWL 1,586

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-29.18%

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

$17.78 ZWL 476

$9.45 COP 33.0K

88.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.5 ZWL 2,502

$24.11 COP 84.1K

287.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 ZWL 269

$4.10 COP 14.3K

144.88%

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

$282 ZWL 7,551

$312 COP 1.1M

-9.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,218 ZWL 193.2K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

20.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.51 ZWL 522

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-66.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.70 ZWL 581

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-33.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.52 ZWL 924

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-65.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.22 ZWL 1,077

$109 COP 378.8K

-62.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ZWL 6,671

$482 COP 1.7M

-48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 ZWL 6,753

$379 COP 1.3M

-33.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$837 COP 2.9M

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ZWL 9,306

$723 COP 2.5M

-51.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $249 in Marondera and $482 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 26% in total monthly costs ($806 vs $1,017 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,209 in Marondera and $1,525 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: $249 in Marondera versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Marondera versus $312 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 $806 in Marondera versus $1,017 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 26% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.