Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Bergen versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Bergen is roughly 165% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergen is 100% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$5.91 COP 18.6K

326.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$32.96 COP 103.8K

210.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$7.43 COP 23.4K

160.43%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$1.65 COP 5,207

223.64%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$1.10 COP 3,468

194.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$0.78 COP 2,458

271.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$1.72 COP 5,412

575.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$3.18 COP 10.0K

202.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$1.10 COP 3,474

146.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$1.26 COP 3,962

173.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$1.38 COP 4,349

102.17%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$2.18 COP 6,858

130.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$4.49 COP 14.1K

210.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$5.79 COP 18.2K

168.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$8.97 COP 28.2K

210.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$2.32 COP 7,308

64.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$1.06 COP 3,352

179.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$1.52 COP 4,774

135.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$1.36 COP 4,270

305.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$1.13 COP 3,552

130.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$1.17 COP 3,689

135.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$0.90 COP 2,838

207.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$0.90 COP 2,823

134.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$2.23 COP 7,034

650.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$12.12 COP 38.2K

46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$1.19 COP 3,743

184.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$2.48 COP 7,815

73.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$0.85 COP 2,687

414.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$41.62 COP 131.0K

91.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$1.42 COP 4,459

970.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.95 COP 6,141

12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$7.89 COP 24.8K

820.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$0.99 COP 3,118

123.23%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

103.44%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

63.00%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$83.0 COP 261.4K

193.99%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$9.70 COP 30.5K

292.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$23.52 COP 74.1K

178.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$25.26 COP 79.5K

114.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$19.10 COP 60.1K

108.22%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$3.95 COP 12.4K

403.80%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$316 COP 994.2K

-10.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

115.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$60.0 COP 188.9K

54.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$31.82 COP 100.2K

75.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$102 COP 320.1K

10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$107 COP 338.3K

33.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$475 COP 1.5M

174.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$374 COP 1.2M

166.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$849 COP 2.7M

139.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$719 COP 2.3M

121.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

131.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

224.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$624 COP 2.0M

602.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

13.43

-63.89%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 602% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Bergen vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 165% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 602% higher in Bergen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,304 in Bergen versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 151% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,658 in Bergen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.