Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,374 in Hamar versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Hamar versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Hamar versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Hamar is roughly 134% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 77% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 238

$5.95 COP 20.8K

322.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,165

$33.33 COP 116.3K

268.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 NOK 143

$7.23 COP 25.2K

108.30%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.54

$1.63 COP 5,687

207.36%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.03

$1.09 COP 3,821

287.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.86

$0.73 COP 2,548

345.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.22 NOK 116

$1.74 COP 6,065

602.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 NOK 78.1

$3.23 COP 11.3K

154.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$1.05 COP 3,662

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$1.29 COP 4,515

131.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.36

$1.32 COP 4,617

54.55%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 46.99

$2.27 COP 7,927

118.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 NOK 98.5

$4.35 COP 15.2K

138.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 NOK 113

$5.88 COP 20.5K

102.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.60 NOK 290

$8.61 COP 30.0K

255.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.97

$2.25 COP 7,844

59.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.97

$1.07 COP 3,733

136.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.50

$1.52 COP 5,322

90.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.27

$1.42 COP 4,964

257.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.46

$1.17 COP 4,084

102.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.38

$1.17 COP 4,077

101.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NOK 19.31

$0.89 COP 3,096

128.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NOK 18.54

$0.90 COP 3,146

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 166

$2.25 COP 7,837

678.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 NOK 177

$11.04 COP 38.5K

69.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.02

$1.14 COP 3,977

205.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.66

$2.38 COP 8,301

75.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.25

$0.84 COP 2,916

442.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NOK 609

$41.95 COP 146.4K

52.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$1.41 COP 4,912

604.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.16

$1.90 COP 6,634

-26.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 NOK 404

$7.75 COP 27.0K

449.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.16

$1.01 COP 3,509

109.90%

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

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

106.61%

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

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

61.18%

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

$217 NOK 2,063

$83.7 COP 292.1K

159.76%

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

$30.76 NOK 292

$9.45 COP 33.0K

225.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 536

$24.11 COP 84.1K

134.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NOK 536

$25.31 COP 88.3K

123.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 NOK 266

$19.14 COP 66.8K

46.24%

Cinema Ticket

$18.07 NOK 172

$4.10 COP 14.3K

340.73%

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

$206 NOK 1,960

$312 COP 1.1M

-33.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

146.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 985

$58.0 COP 202.6K

78.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 572

$32.56 COP 113.6K

84.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,185

$99.6 COP 347.7K

25.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 947

$109 COP 378.8K

-8.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

$482 COP 1.7M

142.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 NOK 7,783

$379 COP 1.3M

116.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

$837 COP 2.9M

82.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

$723 COP 2.5M

96.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

112.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

269.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

$541 COP 1.9M

687.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

13.43

-62.17%

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

Last update for Hamar: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Hamar and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 687% 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: $123 in Hamar vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $190 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

Hamar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Medellin differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($2,374 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 687% 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: $1,171 in Hamar versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $123 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,374 in Hamar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hamar. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.