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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $780 in Marondera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,200 in Marondera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,620 in Marondera.

Living in Medellin is roughly 29% more expensive than in Marondera, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Marondera 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$5.03 ZWL 134

17.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$49.68 ZWL 1,325

-33.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$7.19 ZWL 192

3.34%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

-16.24%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.68 ZWL 18.03

61.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.47 ZWL 12.42

65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.52 ZWL 40.67

13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

63.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.01 ZWL 27.02

8.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.98 ZWL 26.07

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.01 ZWL 26.98

36.63%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.15 ZWL 57.4

1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$10.08 ZWL 269

-55.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$5.13 ZWL 137

12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$4.90 ZWL 131

83.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.99 ZWL 79.7

-22.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.61 ZWL 43.08

-34.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

-25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.69 ZWL 45.20

-19.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.50 ZWL 40.14

-24.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

-42.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.97 ZWL 25.96

-7.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.93 ZWL 24.90

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.13 ZWL 30.16

97.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$3.93 ZWL 105

208.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.14 ZWL 30.30

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.80 ZWL 47.92

37.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$5.02 ZWL 134

-71.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$5.07 ZWL 135

55.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.54 ZWL 41.00

-35.71%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$19.8K ZWL 529.4K

-11.29%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$23.7K ZWL 632.3K

13.08%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$58.9 ZWL 1,570

41.03%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$17.57 ZWL 469

-44.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$94.1 ZWL 2,510

-75.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$9.83 ZWL 262

-59.82%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$274 ZWL 7,311

15.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$7,385 ZWL 197.0K

-19.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$19.28 ZWL 514

211.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$21.07 ZWL 562

51.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$35.05 ZWL 935

190.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$39.91 ZWL 1,065

169.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$249 ZWL 6,636

90.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$253 ZWL 6,752

47.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$403 ZWL 10.8K

110.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$354 ZWL 9,439

103.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Marondera: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $249 in Marondera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Marondera. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $185, 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $780 including rent). Marondera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,169 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: $475 in Medellin versus $249 in Marondera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $274 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 $50.0 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $780 in Marondera versus $1,003 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 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.