Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bulawayo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bulawayo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $747 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,184 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,620 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 120% more than Bulawayo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Bulawayo is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.42 ZWL 118

81.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$29.78 ZWL 794

62.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.89 ZWL 130

92.64%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.15 ZWL 57.4

36.74%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.48 ZWL 12.66

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.40 ZWL 10.59

265.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.48 ZWL 39.48

116.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.03 ZWL 54.1

181.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.59 ZWL 42.42

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.02 ZWL 27.05

135.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.53 ZWL 40.76

11.11%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.46 ZWL 252

6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.99 ZWL 106

149.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$4.46 ZWL 119

218.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.85 ZWL 49.31

115.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.60 ZWL 42.76

-1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.48 ZWL 66.2

-13.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.00 ZWL 26.70

130.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.21 ZWL 32.36

65.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.44 ZWL 38.33

4.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.10 ZWL 29.32

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.79 ZWL 21.13

62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.46 ZWL 38.85

163.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.14 ZWL 137

172.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.40 ZWL 37.30

22.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.92 ZWL 51.1

42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.73 ZWL 19.49

71.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$29.64 ZWL 790

162.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.04 ZWL 81.1

-56.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.02 ZWL 54.0

7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.89 ZWL 130

69.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.63 ZWL 43.34

-16.56%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$25.0K ZWL 667.5K

9.69%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$24.5K ZWL 653.1K

49.09%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$96.4 ZWL 2,569

75.00%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.81 ZWL 475

-23.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$110 ZWL 2,922

-74.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$30.91 ZWL 824

47.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$19.91 ZWL 531

-13.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$9.92 ZWL 264

-32.96%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$231 ZWL 6,168

247.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,519 ZWL 93.8K

161.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$21.48 ZWL 572

306.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$11.53 ZWL 307

414.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$45.41 ZWL 1,210

205.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$58.1 ZWL 1,549

75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$174 ZWL 4,646

514.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$109 ZWL 2,915

497.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$404 ZWL 10.8K

376.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$319 ZWL 8,514

228.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,069 ZWL 55.1K

99.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,009 ZWL 53.5K

-15.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$302 ZWL 8,045

116.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-27.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $174 in Bulawayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 117% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $177 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Medellin vs Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 120%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,121 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $747 in Bulawayo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 163% less in Bulawayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bulawayo, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Bulawayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulawayo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bulawayo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.