Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marondera Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marondera

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $794 in Marondera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,215 in Marondera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,636 in Marondera.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than Marondera, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Marondera 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.93 ZWL 125

20.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$50.9 ZWL 1,288

-35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.04 ZWL 178

2.27%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

-17.48%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.70 ZWL 17.76

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.47 ZWL 11.84

53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.53 ZWL 38.71

9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.98 ZWL 24.75

8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.02 ZWL 25.76

22.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.02 ZWL 25.91

36.27%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.15 ZWL 54.4

5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.03 ZWL 254

-56.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$5.13 ZWL 130

13.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$5.09 ZWL 129

73.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.03 ZWL 76.6

-26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.69 ZWL 42.68

-36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.96 ZWL 49.49

-21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.64 ZWL 41.42

-16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.55 ZWL 39.29

-27.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.00 ZWL 50.7

-44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.00 ZWL 25.35

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.00 ZWL 25.30

-9.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.07 ZWL 27.03

117.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$3.89 ZWL 98.5

186.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.12 ZWL 28.31

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.74 ZWL 43.99

36.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$4.92 ZWL 124

-70.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.02 ZWL 51.1

-5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.91 ZWL 124

63.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.53 ZWL 38.79

-38.56%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.8K ZWL 501.5K

-9.58%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$23.5K ZWL 595.7K

13.78%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$59.3 ZWL 1,501

41.54%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$17.50 ZWL 443

-45.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$90.8 ZWL 2,298

-73.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$10.11 ZWL 256

-61.23%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$282 ZWL 7,144

8.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$7,244 ZWL 183.3K

-18.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$19.22 ZWL 486

201.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$21.21 ZWL 537

50.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$34.97 ZWL 885

185.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$39.93 ZWL 1,010

168.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$247 ZWL 6,247

97.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$248 ZWL 6,263

48.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$393 ZWL 9,935

110.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$356 ZWL 9,017

100.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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 Marondera: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $247 in Marondera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $51.0 in Marondera. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $186, with Marondera cheaper for home cooking.

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 Marondera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Marondera differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $794 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,190 in Marondera to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $247 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $282 in Marondera. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marondera – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $794 in Marondera versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marondera but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Marondera the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Marondera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.