Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gweru Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gweru

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $607 in Gweru, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,089 in Gweru, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,572 in Gweru, rent included.

Medellin costs about 70% more than Gweru, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Gweru are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Gweru 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.00 COPΒ 20.6K
$2.46 ZWLΒ 65.8
143.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.84 COPΒ 112.5K
$50.8 ZWLΒ 1,356
-35.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.42 COPΒ 25.4K
$5.96 ZWLΒ 159
24.50%
Cappuccino
$1.65 COPΒ 5,659
$2.75 ZWLΒ 73.3
-40.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 COPΒ 3,663
$0.48 ZWLΒ 12.68
122.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 COPΒ 2,607
$0.44 ZWLΒ 11.67
72.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.72 COPΒ 5,908
$1.53 ZWLΒ 40.78
12.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 COPΒ 11.0K
$1.03 ZWLΒ 27.41
210.68%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 COPΒ 3,597
$1.54 ZWLΒ 41.20
-31.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 COPΒ 4,479
$1.02 ZWLΒ 27.28
28.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 COPΒ 4,591
$1.94 ZWLΒ 51.9
-30.93%
Eggs
$2.19 COPΒ 7,521
$1.98 ZWLΒ 52.7
10.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.41 COPΒ 15.1K
$10.74 ZWLΒ 287
-58.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.69 COPΒ 19.5K
$3.73 ZWLΒ 99.7
52.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.52 COPΒ 29.2K
$5.47 ZWLΒ 146
55.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.34 COPΒ 8,023
$1.98 ZWLΒ 52.9
18.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 COPΒ 3,804
$1.71 ZWLΒ 45.58
-35.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 COPΒ 5,210
$2.06 ZWLΒ 55.0
-26.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 COPΒ 4,680
$0.98 ZWLΒ 26.19
39.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 COPΒ 3,950
$1.50 ZWLΒ 40.10
-23.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 COPΒ 4,043
$0.99 ZWLΒ 26.39
19.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 COPΒ 2,885
$0.94 ZWLΒ 25.21
-10.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 COPΒ 2,931
$1.02 ZWLΒ 27.21
-15.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.26 COPΒ 7,753
$1.12 ZWLΒ 29.88
101.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.60 COPΒ 39.8K
$9.18 ZWLΒ 245
26.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 COPΒ 4,109
$1.17 ZWLΒ 31.35
2.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 COPΒ 8,484
$1.80 ZWLΒ 47.99
37.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 COPΒ 2,721
$0.48 ZWLΒ 12.69
64.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.83 COPΒ 139.9K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.47 COPΒ 5,023
$5.06 ZWLΒ 135
-70.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 COPΒ 6,568
$0.88 ZWLΒ 23.59
118.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.77 COPΒ 26.6K
$5.06 ZWLΒ 135
53.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 COPΒ 3,464
$1.55 ZWLΒ 41.30
-34.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.7K COPΒ 60.5M
$19.9K ZWLΒ 531.5K
-11.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K COPΒ 90.7M
$23.2K ZWLΒ 619.4K
13.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.1 COPΒ 277.9K
$30.55 ZWLΒ 815
165.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.43 COPΒ 32.3K
$17.26 ZWLΒ 461
-45.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.86 COPΒ 81.8K
$94.1 ZWLΒ 2,512
-74.65%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.99 COPΒ 89.1K
$40.72 ZWLΒ 1,087
-36.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.71 COPΒ 64.1K
$1.94 ZWLΒ 51.8
864.43%
Cinema Ticket
$4.09 COPΒ 14.0K
$10.17 ZWLΒ 271
-59.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$315 COPΒ 1.1M
$247 ZWLΒ 6,604
27.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,022 COPΒ 20.6M
$5,705 ZWLΒ 152.3K
5.56%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.7 COPΒ 204.6K
$19.20 ZWLΒ 513
210.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.97 COPΒ 109.6K
$20.26 ZWLΒ 541
57.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 COPΒ 346.9K
$35.10 ZWLΒ 937
188.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 COPΒ 360.3K
$40.69 ZWLΒ 1,086
158.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$485 COPΒ 1.7M
$151 ZWLΒ 4,034
221.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 COPΒ 1.3M
$69.2 ZWLΒ 1,848
427.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$827 COPΒ 2.8M
$553 ZWLΒ 14.8K
49.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$730 COPΒ 2.5M
$296 ZWLΒ 7,910
146.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,992 COPΒ 10.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,314 COPΒ 4.5M
-
-
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Gweru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$551 COPΒ 1.9M
$252 ZWLΒ 6,716
118.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.43
7
91.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Gweru: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $151 in Gweru. 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 119% 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $51.0 in Gweru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $192 – making Medellin 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 Gweru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and Gweru compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,028 in Medellin, $607 in Gweru – roughly 70% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Gweru?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $910 in Gweru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Gweru?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gweru, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Gweru?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,028 in Medellin and $607 in Gweru. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Gweru?
Kindergarten costs $315 per month in Medellin and $247 in Gweru. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gweru, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Gweru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Gweru?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Gweru to $1,028 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Medellin and Gweru?
If budget matters most, go with Gweru. 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.

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