Cost of Living Comparison Between Fredrikstad and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Fredrikstad and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,030 in Fredrikstad versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,355 in Fredrikstad versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,681 in Fredrikstad versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 77% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fredrikstad 121% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.41 NOK 218

$8.03 COP 25.3K

191.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,110

$48.26 COP 152.0K

146.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 NOK 117

$9.77 COP 30.8K

28.56%

Cappuccino

$6.72 NOK 62.6

$2.91 COP 9,167

130.93%

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

$5.87 NOK 54.7

$1.94 COP 6,122

202.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 NOK 42.82

$1.52 COP 4,792

202.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.33 NOK 115

$3.09 COP 9,740

299.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 NOK 87.7

$5.74 COP 18.1K

63.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 NOK 22.54

$1.36 COP 4,296

77.94%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.42

$2.39 COP 7,519

81.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.13

$1.70 COP 5,356

109.41%

Eggs

$6.10 NOK 56.9

$2.87 COP 9,038

112.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 NOK 124

$9.94 COP 31.3K

33.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.44 NOK 172

$10.78 COP 34.0K

71.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.83 NOK 334

$14.73 COP 46.4K

143.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 43.62

$4.09 COP 12.9K

14.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.03

$1.57 COP 4,950

126.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 NOK 41.58

$2.13 COP 6,695

109.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 NOK 48.57

$2.21 COP 6,972

135.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.45

$2.05 COP 6,447

43.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.35

$1.50 COP 4,737

88.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 NOK 27.61

$1.19 COP 3,747

148.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 NOK 22.37

$1.16 COP 3,647

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.07 NOK 150

$3.90 COP 12.3K

312.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.17 NOK 207

$14.44 COP 45.5K

53.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.35

$1.58 COP 4,987

126.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 NOK 39.88

$2.83 COP 8,905

51.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 38.72

$1.17 COP 3,679

255.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 NOK 622

$77.7 COP 244.8K

-14.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.99 NOK 121

$1.28 COP 4,045

914.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 NOK 15.76

$2.09 COP 6,589

-19.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 677

$8.62 COP 27.1K

743.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.29

$1.30 COP 4,088

83.85%

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

$42.7K NOK 397.8K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

54.39%

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

$50.0K NOK 466.3K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

40.95%

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

$338 NOK 3,153

$176 COP 554.5K

92.17%

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

$46.68 NOK 435

$13.37 COP 42.1K

249.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 NOK 619

$29.89 COP 94.1K

122.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 NOK 550

$44.76 COP 141.0K

31.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.58 NOK 387

$17.06 COP 53.7K

143.73%

Cinema Ticket

$20.69 NOK 193

$6.20 COP 19.5K

233.71%

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

$174 NOK 1,621

$793 COP 2.5M

-78.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K NOK 103.3K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$162 NOK 1,508

$85.6 COP 269.6K

89.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.4 NOK 740

$58.5 COP 184.1K

35.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 NOK 1,343

$136 COP 429.3K

5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 NOK 1,061

$103 COP 324.7K

10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NOK 13.0K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 NOK 10.5K

$680 COP 2.1M

65.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 NOK 17.2K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NOK 14.1K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

29.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,312 NOK 58.8K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

53.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,204 NOK 39.2K

$1,701 COP 5.4M

147.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,454 NOK 32.2K

$665 COP 2.1M

419.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.95

10.94

-54.75%

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

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Fredrikstad and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 419% 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: $119 in Fredrikstad vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $560 vs $303 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

Fredrikstad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 419% higher in Fredrikstad, 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: $1,391 in Fredrikstad versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $174 in Fredrikstad versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fredrikstad. 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 Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fredrikstad 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 77% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.