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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $785 in Marondera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,172 in Marondera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,559 in Marondera.

Living in Medellin is roughly 114% more expensive than in Marondera, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Marondera is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$4.96 ZWL 132

61.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$39.97 ZWL 1,065

19.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.08 ZWL 162

62.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

52.68%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$1.00 ZWL 26.77

91.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$0.53 ZWL 14.12

184.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$1.53 ZWL 40.84

103.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.02 ZWL 53.8

184.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$0.99 ZWL 26.38

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$1.03 ZWL 27.45

141.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$0.97 ZWL 25.87

82.47%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$1.85 ZWL 49.24

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.07 ZWL 268

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.96 ZWL 132

104.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$5.02 ZWL 134

184.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.15 ZWL 83.9

31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$1.67 ZWL 44.57

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$1.46 ZWL 38.81

54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$1.65 ZWL 43.99

23.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$1.80 ZWL 47.85

-14.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$1.22 ZWL 32.53

-4.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$1.04 ZWL 27.81

25.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$1.98 ZWL 52.7

96.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$3.97 ZWL 106

252.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$1.38 ZWL 36.75

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$2.03 ZWL 54.1

41.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$4.11 ZWL 110

-68.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$2.01 ZWL 53.6

8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$4.94 ZWL 132

76.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$1.80 ZWL 47.99

-23.89%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$22.0K ZWL 587.4K

26.29%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$27.7K ZWL 737.3K

29.31%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$53.6 ZWL 1,429

230.60%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$21.55 ZWL 574

-35.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$67.1 ZWL 1,789

-55.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$9.86 ZWL 263

-32.56%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$453 ZWL 12.1K

79.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$9,201 ZWL 245.2K

-0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$24.22 ZWL 645

269.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$21.31 ZWL 568

176.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$40.31 ZWL 1,074

242.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$41.21 ZWL 1,098

147.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$253 ZWL 6,743

319.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$249 ZWL 6,637

166.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$392 ZWL 10.5K

381.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$348 ZWL 9,276

195.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

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 14, 2026

Last update for Marondera: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $253 in Marondera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $40.00 in Marondera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $187 per month, with Marondera 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 Marondera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Marondera differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $785 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,177 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $253 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $453 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 $40.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Marondera versus $1,681 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 114% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.