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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,730 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,414 in Harare.

Living in Medellin is roughly 57% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Harare is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.13 ZWL 270

-20.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

22.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.89 ZWL 157

59.93%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.11 ZWL 82.9

-5.47%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.00 ZWL 26.63

86.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.52 ZWL 13.96

180.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.49 ZWL 39.63

115.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.96 ZWL 52.3

191.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.52 ZWL 40.63

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.04 ZWL 27.63

130.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.70 ZWL 45.17

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

48.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$12.03 ZWL 321

-16.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.66 ZWL 151

76.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.74 ZWL 180

110.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

30.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.68 ZWL 44.78

-5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.08 ZWL 55.4

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.48 ZWL 39.37

55.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.73 ZWL 46.19

15.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.79 ZWL 47.80

-15.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.21 ZWL 32.22

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.00 ZWL 26.62

28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

94.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.19 ZWL 245

52.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.36 ZWL 36.24

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

39.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.01 ZWL 27.03

23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$59.4 ZWL 1,584

31.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.03 ZWL 107

-67.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.06 ZWL 54.8

5.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.98 ZWL 133

66.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.87 ZWL 49.74

-27.27%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.2K ZWL 591.1K

23.86%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$27.2K ZWL 724.3K

34.45%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$55.1 ZWL 1,468

206.37%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$22.06 ZWL 588

-38.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$67.6 ZWL 1,801

-58.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$49.71 ZWL 1,325

-8.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$22.67 ZWL 604

-24.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$9.87 ZWL 263

-32.62%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$459 ZWL 12.2K

74.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,938 ZWL 238.2K

2.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$24.74 ZWL 659

253.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$20.99 ZWL 559

182.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$39.49 ZWL 1,052

251.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$42.14 ZWL 1,123

142.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$399 ZWL 10.6K

168.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$314 ZWL 8,374

107.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$837 ZWL 22.3K

130.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$752 ZWL 20.0K

39.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$937 ZWL 25.0K

340.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$385 ZWL 10.3K

340.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$428 ZWL 11.4K

52.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

13.69

-20.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Harare: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $399 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 53% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $221 per month, with Harare 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $399 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $459 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,046 in Harare versus $1,641 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 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.