Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Victoria Falls

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria Falls: $908 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Victoria Falls

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Victoria Falls actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $908 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Victoria Falls $908

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,479 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Victoria Falls $1,479

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,051 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Victoria Falls $2,051

Medellin costs about 81% more than Victoria Falls, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Victoria Falls is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.16 ZWL 270

-20.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$45.27 ZWL 1,203

3.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$5.87 ZWL 156

-48.72%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.98 ZWL 26.03

83.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.51 ZWL 13.59

176.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.92 ZWL 131

-35.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.04 ZWL 54.1

-25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

131.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

-9.69%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.54 ZWL 94.2

-18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$2.47 ZWL 65.7

312.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.11 ZWL 162

61.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$7.93 ZWL 211

76.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.01 ZWL 80.0

31.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.99 ZWL 79.3

-48.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

-26.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$3.88 ZWL 103

-43.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.01 ZWL 53.5

-20.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.99 ZWL 52.8

-42.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.54 ZWL 40.97

-19.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.49 ZWL 92.7

13.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$20.32 ZWL 540

-32.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

-40.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.99 ZWL 26.26

107.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.83 ZWL 48.72

-26.23%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$25.48 ZWL 677

565.82%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$24.62 ZWL 654

-44.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$68.4 ZWL 1,816

-58.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$59.7 ZWL 1,585

-26.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$15.03 ZWL 399

14.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$20.10 ZWL 534

-65.62%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$101 ZWL 2,697

684.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$5,959 ZWL 158.3K

52.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$14.75 ZWL 392

474.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$25.41 ZWL 675

128.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$60.7 ZWL 1,612

122.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$45.84 ZWL 1,218

113.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$250 ZWL 6,654

382.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$178 ZWL 4,738

259.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$491 ZWL 13.0K

312.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$348 ZWL 9,258

190.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$808 ZWL 21.5K

-18.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Victoria Falls: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Victoria Falls

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Victoria Falls

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Victoria Falls

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Victoria Falls

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Victoria Falls

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Victoria Falls

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Victoria Falls

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $250 in Victoria Falls. 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 23% higher in Victoria Falls, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $45 in Victoria Falls. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $250 – making Victoria Falls the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

15:54 3:54 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

35,215

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.65 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Victoria Falls 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Victoria Falls

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Victoria Falls: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,361 in Victoria Falls. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Victoria Falls, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $45 in Victoria Falls. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Victoria Falls, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Victoria Falls it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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