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: $2,370 in Hamar versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Hamar is roughly 129% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 77% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$5.92 COP 21.5K

329.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$32.75 COP 119.1K

269.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$7.20 COP 26.2K

106.67%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$1.70 COP 6,186

197.06%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$1.10 COP 3,996

272.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$0.72 COP 2,625

341.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$1.67 COP 6,067

623.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$3.10 COP 11.3K

156.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$1.06 COP 3,837

95.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$1.25 COP 4,531

129.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$1.39 COP 5,060

48.92%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$2.26 COP 8,229

119.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$4.33 COP 15.8K

146.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$5.84 COP 21.2K

105.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$8.83 COP 32.1K

256.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$2.24 COP 8,159

55.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$1.08 COP 3,911

141.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$1.53 COP 5,563

88.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$1.37 COP 4,987

276.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$1.13 COP 4,109

111.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$1.12 COP 4,067

118.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$0.85 COP 3,080

136.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$0.91 COP 3,305

113.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$2.33 COP 8,477

624.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$11.13 COP 40.5K

68.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$1.19 COP 4,342

185.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$2.37 COP 8,617

75.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$0.79 COP 2,859

467.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$41.13 COP 149.6K

58.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$1.44 COP 5,223

608.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$1.91 COP 6,952

-26.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$8.02 COP 29.2K

428.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$0.94 COP 3,410

123.40%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

105.94%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

61.96%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$84.0 COP 305.4K

156.54%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$9.60 COP 34.9K

227.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$24.16 COP 87.9K

131.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$25.88 COP 94.1K

115.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$19.04 COP 69.3K

46.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$3.92 COP 14.2K

356.89%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$306 COP 1.1M

-35.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

151.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$57.9 COP 210.6K

81.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$31.82 COP 115.7K

93.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$99.9 COP 363.3K

24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$107 COP 389.7K

-6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$487 COP 1.8M

140.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$368 COP 1.3M

130.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$716 COP 2.6M

100.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

50.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

150.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$546 COP 2.0M

697.10%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 697% 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: $121 in Hamar vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 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 129% in total monthly costs ($2,370 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 697% 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: $1,168 in Hamar versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% 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 $121 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,370 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 129% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.