Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Harare Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Harare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,002 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,678 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,354 in Harare.

Monthly costs are close between Medellin and Harare; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$10.10 ZWL 270

-41.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$49.37 ZWL 1,319

-33.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$7.20 ZWL 192

3.19%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$2.95 ZWL 78.7

-44.07%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$0.71 ZWL 18.89

54.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.46 ZWL 12.37

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$1.48 ZWL 39.59

16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$2.03 ZWL 54.2

56.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$1.60 ZWL 42.76

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.02 ZWL 27.39

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$1.90 ZWL 50.7

-27.37%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$2.09 ZWL 55.8

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$10.97 ZWL 293

-59.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$6.55 ZWL 175

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$6.25 ZWL 167

43.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$3.02 ZWL 80.8

-23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$1.67 ZWL 44.69

-36.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$2.24 ZWL 60.0

-32.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$1.64 ZWL 43.84

-17.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$1.49 ZWL 39.93

-24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$1.99 ZWL 53.1

-41.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$1.00 ZWL 26.80

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$1.03 ZWL 27.48

-12.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$1.13 ZWL 30.24

97.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$9.28 ZWL 248

30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$1.18 ZWL 31.62

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$1.74 ZWL 46.39

42.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$1.03 ZWL 27.47

-17.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$42.17 ZWL 1,127

-1.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$5.13 ZWL 137

-72.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

-0.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$5.10 ZWL 136

54.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.62 ZWL 43.21

-38.89%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$19.7K ZWL 526.9K

-10.74%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$23.6K ZWL 630.1K

13.64%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$59.4 ZWL 1,588

39.70%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$17.75 ZWL 474

-45.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$93.8 ZWL 2,505

-74.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$53.7 ZWL 1,436

-53.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$14.35 ZWL 383

33.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$9.84 ZWL 263

-59.86%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$273 ZWL 7,296

15.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$7,310 ZWL 195.3K

-18.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$19.62 ZWL 524

205.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$21.62 ZWL 578

47.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$35.26 ZWL 942

188.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$40.29 ZWL 1,077

166.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$405 ZWL 10.8K

17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$279 ZWL 7,446

34.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$975 ZWL 26.1K

-12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$706 ZWL 18.9K

1.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$915 ZWL 24.4K

256.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$387 ZWL 10.3K

272.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$401 ZWL 10.7K

55.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

13.31

0.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Harare: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $405 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $49.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $222 per month, with Medellin 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

Medellin vs Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 56% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $475 in Medellin versus $405 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Harare runs roughly 1% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,002 in Harare versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Harare wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.