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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $792 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,230 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,669 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 23% lower, Mutare 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$10.19 ZWL 258

-41.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$50.1 ZWL 1,267

-34.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.63 ZWL 117

55.51%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.22 ZWL 30.97

39.34%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.72 ZWL 18.09

52.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.44 ZWL 11.10

63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.39 ZWL 35.14

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.77 ZWL 44.75

75.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.21 ZWL 30.73

-12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.03 ZWL 25.97

21.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.26 ZWL 31.98

10.32%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.88 ZWL 47.57

20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$2.94 ZWL 74.3

47.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.07 ZWL 103

43.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$4.92 ZWL 124

79.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.01 ZWL 51.0

11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.70 ZWL 42.92

-36.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.05 ZWL 51.9

-25.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.97 ZWL 24.55

41.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.51 ZWL 38.31

-25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.97 ZWL 24.54

15.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.52 ZWL 13.23

63.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.01 ZWL 25.61

-9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.12 ZWL 28.35

108.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$5.95 ZWL 151

87.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.17 ZWL 29.69

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.72 ZWL 43.58

37.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.48 ZWL 12.12

64.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$27.10 ZWL 686

51.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.06 ZWL 77.5

-52.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.95 ZWL 49.35

-2.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.89 ZWL 124

64.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.55 ZWL 39.30

-39.35%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.4K ZWL 515.3K

-12.02%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$23.0K ZWL 582.6K

16.35%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$57.2 ZWL 1,447

46.81%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$15.03 ZWL 380

-36.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$61.1 ZWL 1,546

-60.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$40.40 ZWL 1,022

-35.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$4.87 ZWL 123

290.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$10.12 ZWL 256

-61.26%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$146 ZWL 3,686

110.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$7,422 ZWL 187.8K

-20.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$9.91 ZWL 251

484.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$9.43 ZWL 239

237.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$25.45 ZWL 644

292.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$19.94 ZWL 504

437.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$346 ZWL 8,761

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$251 ZWL 6,358

46.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$750 ZWL 19.0K

10.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$400 ZWL 10.1K

79.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$253 ZWL 6,397

1056.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$252 ZWL 6,365

116.82%

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 Mutare: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $346 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 117% 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 $50.0 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $154 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,187 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 $50.0 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 $1,034 in Medellin and $792 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 $792, than in Medellin at $1,034. 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.