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: $2,379 in Hamar versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Hamar is roughly 137% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 79% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 244

$5.91 COP 18.9K

329.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,170

$32.96 COP 105.2K

270.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 147

$7.43 COP 23.7K

105.52%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.59

$1.65 COP 5,276

207.27%

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

$4.21 NOK 40.39

$1.10 COP 3,514

282.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.47

$0.78 COP 2,491

307.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 115

$1.72 COP 5,484

595.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 78.5

$3.18 COP 10.1K

157.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 20.16

$1.10 COP 3,521

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 27.29

$1.26 COP 4,015

125.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.63

$1.38 COP 4,407

48.55%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.84

$2.18 COP 6,950

138.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 99.9

$4.49 COP 14.3K

132.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 117

$5.79 COP 18.5K

110.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 299

$8.97 COP 28.6K

247.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.04

$2.32 COP 7,405

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$1.06 COP 3,397

135.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.69

$1.52 COP 4,838

90.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.77

$1.36 COP 4,327

273.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.81

$1.13 COP 3,599

110.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.95

$1.17 COP 3,738

104.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 19.18

$0.90 COP 2,876

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.12

$0.90 COP 2,861

110.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 167

$2.23 COP 7,128

680.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 173

$12.12 COP 38.7K

48.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.75

$1.19 COP 3,793

195.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.80

$2.48 COP 7,920

71.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 43.02

$0.85 COP 2,723

427.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 619

$41.62 COP 132.8K

54.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 95.7

$1.42 COP 4,518

602.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.27

$1.95 COP 6,223

-29.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 409

$7.89 COP 25.2K

440.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.20

$0.99 COP 3,160

113.13%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.4K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

103.95%

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

$43.2K NOK 414.6K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

61.28%

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

$218 NOK 2,096

$83.0 COP 264.9K

163.20%

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

$31.47 NOK 302

$9.70 COP 30.9K

224.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 539

$23.52 COP 75.0K

138.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

$25.26 COP 80.6K

120.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 268

$19.10 COP 60.9K

46.44%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 173

$3.95 COP 12.6K

356.20%

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

$203 NOK 1,944

$316 COP 1.0M

-35.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 140.2K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

144.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,014

$60.0 COP 191.4K

76.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 580

$31.82 COP 101.5K

89.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,161

$102 COP 324.4K

19.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 988

$107 COP 342.8K

-4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.1K

$475 COP 1.5M

144.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,902

$374 COP 1.2M

120.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.3K

$849 COP 2.7M

76.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.9K

$719 COP 2.3M

100.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 40.4K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

28.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 33.1K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

139.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.4K

$624 COP 2.0M

558.35%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 558% 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: $122 in Hamar vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $193 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 137% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $1,003 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 558% higher in Hamar, 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: $1,160 in Hamar versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% 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 $122 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,379 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 137% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.