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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $991 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,663 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,335 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 24% lower, Harare 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$10.11 ZWL 271

-41.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$49.12 ZWL 1,315

-32.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.01 ZWL 188

3.14%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.92 ZWL 78.1

-44.18%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.68 ZWL 18.12

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.43 ZWL 11.59

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.52 ZWL 40.73

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.94 ZWL 52.0

66.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.62 ZWL 43.48

-35.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.02 ZWL 27.41

26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.93 ZWL 51.7

-31.61%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.09 ZWL 56.0

8.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$10.86 ZWL 291

-59.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.46 ZWL 173

-8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$6.21 ZWL 166

38.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.01 ZWL 80.6

-25.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.68 ZWL 45.09

-36.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.20 ZWL 59.0

-30.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.71 ZWL 45.73

-16.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.49 ZWL 39.76

-21.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

-43.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.03 ZWL 27.55

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.95 ZWL 25.47

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.11 ZWL 29.74

102.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$8.94 ZWL 239

23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.12 ZWL 30.03

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.77 ZWL 47.25

34.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.02 ZWL 27.37

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$42.56 ZWL 1,139

-1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$5.05 ZWL 135

-72.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.98 ZWL 53.1

-4.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.14 ZWL 137

50.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.61 ZWL 43.06

-37.27%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$20.0K ZWL 535.8K

-12.17%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$23.6K ZWL 632.9K

12.07%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$58.9 ZWL 1,576

42.19%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$17.40 ZWL 466

-45.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$94.1 ZWL 2,519

-74.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$53.3 ZWL 1,426

-52.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$14.15 ZWL 379

35.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$9.94 ZWL 266

-58.75%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$279 ZWL 7,477

11.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,278 ZWL 194.8K

-17.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$19.51 ZWL 522

197.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$21.18 ZWL 567

53.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$34.22 ZWL 916

191.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$40.55 ZWL 1,085

167.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$403 ZWL 10.8K

19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$280 ZWL 7,502

35.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$967 ZWL 25.9K

-13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$695 ZWL 18.6K

4.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$919 ZWL 24.6K

209.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$387 ZWL 10.4K

215.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$393 ZWL 10.5K

37.76%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Harare: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $403 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 $220 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: $482 in Medellin versus $403 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $279 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 $991 in Harare versus $1,017 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.