Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shurugwi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shurugwi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $580 in Shurugwi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $968 in Shurugwi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,357 in Shurugwi, rent included.

Medellin costs about 190% more than Shurugwi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Shurugwi is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$9.87 ZWL 263

-18.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$40.18 ZWL 1,071

19.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.09 ZWL 162

62.40%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$1.73 ZWL 46.17

80.92%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$0.94 ZWL 25.12

103.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$0.52 ZWL 13.98

190.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$1.54 ZWL 41.04

102.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

194.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$1.51 ZWL 40.25

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$1.03 ZWL 27.34

141.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$1.62 ZWL 43.16

9.26%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

56.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$11.81 ZWL 315

-14.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.72 ZWL 153

76.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$6.59 ZWL 176

117.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.04 ZWL 81.0

36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$1.62 ZWL 43.07

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$2.08 ZWL 55.4

8.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$1.47 ZWL 39.19

53.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$1.72 ZWL 45.71

18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$1.78 ZWL 47.42

-13.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$1.22 ZWL 32.49

-4.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$1.00 ZWL 26.56

31.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$1.94 ZWL 51.8

101.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.89 ZWL 237

57.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$1.37 ZWL 36.49

27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

43.50%

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

$3.91 ZWL 104

-66.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

11.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$5.06 ZWL 135

72.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$1.77 ZWL 47.30

-22.60%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$21.9K ZWL 583.0K

27.25%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$27.1K ZWL 723.3K

31.80%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$53.5 ZWL 1,425

231.59%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$21.84 ZWL 582

-36.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$67.9 ZWL 1,810

-56.24%

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

$9.81 ZWL 261

-32.21%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$461 ZWL 12.3K

76.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$8,861 ZWL 236.2K

3.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$24.90 ZWL 663

259.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$20.90 ZWL 557

182.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$39.93 ZWL 1,064

246.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$42.35 ZWL 1,129

141.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

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 Shurugwi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $40.00 in Shurugwi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $218 – making Shurugwi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Shurugwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 190%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $870 in Shurugwi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $40.00 in Shurugwi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shurugwi, where all-in costs run around $580, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Shurugwi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shurugwi – 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 Shurugwi. 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.