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: $780 in Marondera versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,200 in Marondera versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,620 in Marondera versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Marondera costs roughly 22% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Marondera 41% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.03 ZWL 134

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.68 ZWL 1,325

$32.96 COP 103.8K

50.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 ZWL 192

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

$1.65 COP 5,207

19.39%

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

$0.68 ZWL 18.03

$1.10 COP 3,468

-38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 12.42

$0.78 COP 2,458

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ZWL 40.67

$1.72 COP 5,412

-11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-38.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 ZWL 27.02

$1.10 COP 3,474

-8.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ZWL 26.07

$1.26 COP 3,962

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ZWL 26.98

$1.38 COP 4,349

-26.81%

Eggs

$2.15 ZWL 57.4

$2.18 COP 6,858

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 ZWL 269

$4.49 COP 14.1K

124.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 ZWL 137

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.90 ZWL 131

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-45.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ZWL 79.7

$2.32 COP 7,308

28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ZWL 43.08

$1.06 COP 3,352

51.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

$1.52 COP 4,774

34.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 45.20

$1.36 COP 4,270

24.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ZWL 40.14

$1.13 COP 3,552

32.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

$1.17 COP 3,689

75.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ZWL 25.96

$0.90 COP 2,838

7.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ZWL 24.90

$0.90 COP 2,823

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.13 ZWL 30.16

$2.23 COP 7,034

-49.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.93 ZWL 105

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ZWL 30.30

$1.19 COP 3,743

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ZWL 47.92

$2.48 COP 7,815

-27.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 ZWL 134

$1.42 COP 4,459

253.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

$1.95 COP 6,141

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 ZWL 135

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-35.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ZWL 41.00

$0.99 COP 3,118

55.56%

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

$19.8K ZWL 529.4K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

12.72%

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

$23.7K ZWL 632.3K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-11.56%

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

$58.9 ZWL 1,570

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-29.09%

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

$17.57 ZWL 469

$9.70 COP 30.5K

81.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$94.1 ZWL 2,510

$23.52 COP 74.1K

299.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 ZWL 262

$3.95 COP 12.4K

148.86%

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

$274 ZWL 7,311

$316 COP 994.2K

-13.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,385 ZWL 197.0K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

23.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.28 ZWL 514

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-67.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.07 ZWL 562

$31.82 COP 100.2K

-33.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.05 ZWL 935

$102 COP 320.1K

-65.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.91 ZWL 1,065

$107 COP 338.3K

-62.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ZWL 6,636

$475 COP 1.5M

-47.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ZWL 6,752

$374 COP 1.2M

-32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$849 COP 2.7M

-52.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ZWL 9,439

$719 COP 2.3M

-50.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $249 in Marondera and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Marondera vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $193, 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 29% in total monthly costs ($780 vs $1,003 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,169 in Marondera and $1,504 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 $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Marondera versus $316 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 $50.0 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $780 in Marondera versus $1,003 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 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.