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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,004 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,655 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,306 in Harare.

Living in Medellin is roughly 3% more expensive than Harare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Harare 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$9.90 ZWL 251

-40.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$49.08 ZWL 1,242

-33.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.80 ZWL 172

5.88%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.00 ZWL 75.8

-43.33%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.66 ZWL 16.72

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.47 ZWL 11.81

53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.48 ZWL 37.39

12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.99 ZWL 50.3

55.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.61 ZWL 40.70

-34.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.01 ZWL 25.58

23.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.92 ZWL 48.64

-27.60%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.08 ZWL 52.7

8.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$11.06 ZWL 280

-60.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$6.53 ZWL 165

-10.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.23 ZWL 158

41.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.04 ZWL 76.9

-26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.70 ZWL 43.04

-36.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.22 ZWL 56.1

-31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.66 ZWL 42.07

-17.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.55 ZWL 39.30

-27.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.98 ZWL 50.1

-43.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.04 ZWL 26.24

-18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.01 ZWL 25.46

-9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.08 ZWL 27.35

115.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.69 ZWL 220

28.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.17 ZWL 29.56

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.80 ZWL 45.54

31.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.98 ZWL 24.78

-19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$42.32 ZWL 1,071

-2.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$5.06 ZWL 128

-71.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.95 ZWL 49.25

-2.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$5.03 ZWL 127

59.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.61 ZWL 40.85

-41.61%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.1K ZWL 508.8K

-10.88%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$23.3K ZWL 589.4K

15.00%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$57.3 ZWL 1,450

46.45%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$17.82 ZWL 451

-46.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$93.1 ZWL 2,355

-74.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$52.6 ZWL 1,332

-50.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$14.42 ZWL 365

32.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$9.85 ZWL 249

-60.20%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$275 ZWL 6,952

11.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$7,312 ZWL 185.0K

-19.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$19.61 ZWL 496

195.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$21.59 ZWL 546

47.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$34.05 ZWL 862

193.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$39.85 ZWL 1,008

168.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$393 ZWL 9,941

23.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$274 ZWL 6,936

34.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$971 ZWL 24.6K

-14.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$707 ZWL 17.9K

1.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$892 ZWL 22.6K

228.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$394 ZWL 9,977

256.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$395 ZWL 9,992

38.12%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Harare: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $393 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $49.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $221 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

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 38% more on average, 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: $487 in Medellin versus $393 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $275 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,004 in Harare versus $1,034 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.

Expats usually find Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.