Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fredrikstad and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,983 in Fredrikstad, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Fredrikstad
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Fredrikstad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Fredrikstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,983

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fredrikstad and in Medellin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,983 in Fredrikstad versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Fredrikstad $2,983
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,345 in Fredrikstad versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Fredrikstad $4,345
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,707 in Fredrikstad versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Fredrikstad $5,707
Medellin $3,190

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 85% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fredrikstad 121% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.28 NOK 247

$7.93 COP 25.2K

231.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,170

$46.13 COP 146.3K

169.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.65 NOK 119

$9.50 COP 30.1K

33.16%

Cappuccino

$6.77 NOK 63.7

$3.11 COP 9,866

117.68%

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

$5.55 NOK 52.3

$1.83 COP 5,800

203.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.36

$1.38 COP 4,360

218.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.55 NOK 109

$3.05 COP 9,672

278.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.57 NOK 90.1

$5.50 COP 17.4K

74.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.00

$1.45 COP 4,600

61.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 NOK 40.56

$2.36 COP 7,496

82.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.31

$1.68 COP 5,328

104.17%

Eggs

$5.82 NOK 54.8

$2.86 COP 9,077

103.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 NOK 123

$10.19 COP 32.3K

28.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.96 NOK 169

$9.53 COP 30.2K

88.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.38 NOK 324

$14.04 COP 44.5K

144.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.71

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-17.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 34.24

$1.50 COP 4,742

142.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 NOK 40.49

$2.17 COP 6,891

98.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 NOK 47.06

$2.31 COP 7,310

116.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.74

$1.93 COP 6,113

36.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.53

$1.64 COP 5,196

65.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 26.50

$1.13 COP 3,571

149.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$1.25 COP 3,954

86.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.51 NOK 146

$3.99 COP 12.6K

288.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.16 NOK 209

$13.35 COP 42.3K

65.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.81

$1.70 COP 5,384

105.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.34

$2.37 COP 7,525

85.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 NOK 38.71

$1.21 COP 3,827

239.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 607

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-15.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.56 NOK 118

$1.32 COP 4,179

851.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NOK 18.79

$2.14 COP 6,774

-6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.1 NOK 660

$8.47 COP 26.8K

728.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.64

$1.30 COP 4,114

76.92%

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

$49.8K NOK 468.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

77.78%

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

$46.9K NOK 441.1K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

32.31%

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

$331 NOK 3,118

$172 COP 545.6K

92.48%

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

$45.60 NOK 429

$13.37 COP 42.4K

241.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 NOK 630

$28.73 COP 91.1K

132.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 NOK 549

$45.24 COP 143.5K

28.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.86 NOK 385

$17.04 COP 54.0K

139.79%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 NOK 190

$6.28 COP 19.9K

221.50%

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

$168 NOK 1,579

$770 COP 2.4M

-78.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NOK 117.8K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

38.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$155 NOK 1,459

$86.4 COP 274.0K

79.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.7 NOK 741

$57.1 COP 181.1K

37.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 NOK 1,358

$137 COP 432.9K

5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NOK 1,051

$97.9 COP 310.4K

14.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 NOK 12.5K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

$616 COP 2.0M

83.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 NOK 17.1K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-3.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 NOK 14.3K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

48.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 56.7K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

48.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,131 NOK 38.9K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

146.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 NOK 31.7K

$652 COP 2.1M

416.91%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fredrikstad

$1.1K 37.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 45.6% $515

Groceries & Markets

Fredrikstad

$540 18.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 45.4% $245

Eating Out

Fredrikstad

$446 15%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 62.3% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fredrikstad

$444 14.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 51.7% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Fredrikstad

$220 7.4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 22.8% $50

Getting Around

Fredrikstad

$103 3.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 9.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Fredrikstad

$99 3.3%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 41.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Fredrikstad and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 417% 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: $124 in Fredrikstad vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $540 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Fredrikstad

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

22:25 10:25 PM

7 h behind Fredrikstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,267

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Fredrikstad Medellin 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fredrikstad
Medellin

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

Fredrikstad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 417% 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: $1,329 in Fredrikstad versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Fredrikstad versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,983 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 85% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.