Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mutare Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mutare

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $779 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,247 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,715 in Mutare, rent included.

Medellin costs about 31% more than Mutare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Mutare are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Mutare 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$10.07 ZWL 270

-40.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$50.8 ZWL 1,359

-34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.63 ZWL 124

56.16%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.27 ZWL 34.11

28.35%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.67 ZWL 18.04

62.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.43 ZWL 11.51

69.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.31 ZWL 35.11

32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.82 ZWL 48.65

77.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.24 ZWL 33.12

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.02 ZWL 27.41

26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.33 ZWL 35.64

-0.75%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.92 ZWL 51.5

18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$3.01 ZWL 80.7

44.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.07 ZWL 109

44.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$5.17 ZWL 139

66.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.03 ZWL 54.3

10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.64 ZWL 43.93

-34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.02 ZWL 54.0

-24.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.99 ZWL 26.43

43.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.57 ZWL 41.97

-25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.98 ZWL 26.17

19.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.51 ZWL 13.70

74.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.02 ZWL 27.21

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.12 ZWL 29.91

100.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.89 ZWL 158

87.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.17 ZWL 31.39

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.68 ZWL 44.96

41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.51 ZWL 13.77

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$27.01 ZWL 723

55.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.06 ZWL 81.9

-53.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

-3.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$4.85 ZWL 130

59.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.56 ZWL 41.72

-35.26%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.8K ZWL 530.2K

-11.24%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$23.5K ZWL 628.4K

12.86%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$57.5 ZWL 1,540

45.43%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$14.83 ZWL 397

-36.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$60.8 ZWL 1,627

-60.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$39.97 ZWL 1,070

-36.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$4.90 ZWL 131

290.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$9.98 ZWL 267

-58.92%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$148 ZWL 3,961

110.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,258 ZWL 194.3K

-17.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$9.85 ZWL 264

489.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$9.39 ZWL 251

246.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$25.10 ZWL 672

296.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$19.78 ZWL 529

448.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$355 ZWL 9,491

36.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$252 ZWL 6,748

50.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$753 ZWL 20.2K

11.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$398 ZWL 10.7K

81.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$253 ZWL 6,783

1020.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$247 ZWL 6,599

119.42%

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 Mutare: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $355 in Mutare. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 119% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $51.0 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $155 in Mutare – so Mutare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,168 in Mutare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mutare, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $51.0 in Mutare. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,017 in Medellin and $779 in Mutare. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mutare, where all-in costs run around $779, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Mutare it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mutare – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mutare. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.