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: $2,692 in Fredrikstad versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,055 in Fredrikstad versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,418 in Fredrikstad versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 166% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fredrikstad is 101% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.53 NOK 172

$5.99 COP 21.4K

209.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 NOK 1,018

$32.86 COP 117.4K

233.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 NOK 111

$7.09 COP 25.3K

68.97%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 47.91

$1.71 COP 6,115

201.75%

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

$3.90 NOK 36.25

$1.10 COP 3,924

254.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 NOK 25.98

$0.78 COP 2,781

258.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 105

$1.68 COP 5,997

572.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 NOK 94.7

$3.07 COP 11.0K

231.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.17

$1.09 COP 3,906

99.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.45 NOK 41.36

$1.26 COP 4,508

253.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 NOK 30.00

$1.38 COP 4,922

134.06%

Eggs

$5.46 NOK 50.8

$2.19 COP 7,827

149.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 NOK 110

$4.40 COP 15.7K

170.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.75 NOK 146

$5.63 COP 20.1K

179.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.73 NOK 313

$8.89 COP 31.8K

279.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 NOK 44.06

$2.34 COP 8,349

102.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.09

$1.06 COP 3,777

225.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 41.83

$1.50 COP 5,374

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 NOK 47.00

$1.38 COP 4,924

266.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 26.81

$1.15 COP 4,111

151.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.58

$1.16 COP 4,155

137.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 NOK 25.40

$0.89 COP 3,182

206.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 16.94

$0.84 COP 2,997

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 140

$2.28 COP 8,145

561.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.89 NOK 213

$10.64 COP 38.0K

115.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 30.80

$1.20 COP 4,284

176.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 NOK 55.8

$2.47 COP 8,824

143.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.90 NOK 36.22

$0.86 COP 3,056

353.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 NOK 579

$41.40 COP 147.9K

50.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$1.47 COP 5,264

318.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.56

$1.96 COP 7,009

-25.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.8 NOK 500

$7.74 COP 27.6K

595.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.58

$0.95 COP 3,409

144.21%

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

$35.3K NOK 328.0K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

94.75%

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

$37.8K NOK 351.5K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

42.87%

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

$336 NOK 3,119

$82.3 COP 293.7K

308.15%

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

$38.13 NOK 354

$9.50 COP 33.9K

301.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 520

$24.23 COP 86.5K

130.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 NOK 447

$25.89 COP 92.4K

85.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.46 NOK 367

$19.00 COP 67.9K

107.68%

Cinema Ticket

$21.86 NOK 203

$3.93 COP 14.0K

456.23%

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

$283 NOK 2,629

$309 COP 1.1M

-8.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

69.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 NOK 1,383

$58.7 COP 209.5K

153.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 NOK 569

$32.35 COP 115.5K

89.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 NOK 1,539

$103 COP 366.4K

61.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,242

$108 COP 387.2K

23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 NOK 12.0K

$476 COP 1.7M

170.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 NOK 8,851

$379 COP 1.4M

151.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

$838 COP 3.0M

144.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 NOK 14.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

112.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,150 NOK 57.1K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

120.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 NOK 42.1K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

274.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,416 NOK 31.7K

$512 COP 1.8M

567.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

13.43

-68.35%

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

Last update for Fredrikstad: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Fredrikstad and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 567% 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: $110 in Fredrikstad vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $526 vs $188 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Fredrikstad pays 567% more on average, 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: $1,288 in Fredrikstad versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Fredrikstad versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad, a $1,500 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 166% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.