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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $806 in Marondera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,192 in Marondera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,577 in Marondera.

Living in Medellin is roughly 26% more expensive than Marondera, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Marondera 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.07 ZWL 136

17.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$51.0 ZWL 1,365

-34.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.11 ZWL 190

1.69%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.04 ZWL 54.6

-20.10%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.67 ZWL 17.93

62.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.43 ZWL 11.58

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.53 ZWL 40.95

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

64.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.02 ZWL 27.35

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.01 ZWL 27.15

27.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.99 ZWL 26.41

33.33%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.14 ZWL 57.2

6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$10.15 ZWL 272

-57.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.86 ZWL 130

20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$5.04 ZWL 135

70.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.99 ZWL 80.1

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.65 ZWL 44.13

-35.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

-25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.66 ZWL 44.51

-14.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.55 ZWL 41.51

-24.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

-40.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.01 ZWL 27.06

-11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.01 ZWL 27.05

-10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.13 ZWL 30.18

99.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$3.88 ZWL 104

184.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.17 ZWL 31.24

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.80 ZWL 48.10

32.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$4.92 ZWL 132

-71.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.97 ZWL 52.6

-3.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$4.96 ZWL 133

56.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.57 ZWL 41.98

-35.67%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.8K ZWL 529.9K

-11.19%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$23.7K ZWL 633.7K

11.92%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$59.3 ZWL 1,586

41.21%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$17.78 ZWL 476

-46.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$93.5 ZWL 2,502

-74.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$10.04 ZWL 269

-59.16%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$282 ZWL 7,551

10.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,218 ZWL 193.2K

-16.97%

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

$21.70 ZWL 581

50.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$34.52 ZWL 924

188.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$40.22 ZWL 1,077

169.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$249 ZWL 6,671

93.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$252 ZWL 6,753

50.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$403 ZWL 10.8K

107.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$348 ZWL 9,306

108.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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 Marondera: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $249 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $806 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,209 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: $482 in Medellin versus $249 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 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 $806 in Marondera versus $1,017 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 26% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.