Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Harstad versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Harstad is roughly 139% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 81% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$5.99 COP 21.5K

126.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$32.86 COP 118.1K

263.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$7.09 COP 25.5K

116.22%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$1.71 COP 6,154

253.80%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$1.10 COP 3,949

213.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$0.78 COP 2,798

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$1.68 COP 6,035

567.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$3.07 COP 11.0K

268.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$1.09 COP 3,930

112.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$1.26 COP 4,536

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$1.38 COP 4,953

117.39%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$2.19 COP 7,876

90.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$4.40 COP 15.8K

140.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$5.63 COP 20.2K

165.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$8.89 COP 32.0K

317.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$2.34 COP 8,401

73.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$1.06 COP 3,801

152.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$1.50 COP 5,408

130.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$1.38 COP 4,955

238.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$1.15 COP 4,137

73.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$1.16 COP 4,181

70.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$0.89 COP 3,202

211.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$0.84 COP 3,016

113.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$2.28 COP 8,196

567.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$10.64 COP 38.2K

50.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$1.20 COP 4,311

196.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$2.47 COP 8,880

82.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$0.86 COP 3,075

591.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$41.40 COP 148.8K

96.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$1.47 COP 5,297

748.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$1.96 COP 7,053

-26.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$7.74 COP 27.8K

562.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$0.95 COP 3,430

122.11%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

85.45%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

16.47%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$82.3 COP 295.6K

94.08%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$9.50 COP 34.1K

248.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$24.23 COP 87.1K

217.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$25.89 COP 93.0K

91.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$19.00 COP 68.3K

89.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$3.93 COP 14.1K

332.32%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$309 COP 1.1M

6.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

-13.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$58.7 COP 210.8K

31.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$32.35 COP 116.2K

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$103 COP 368.7K

14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$108 COP 389.6K

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$476 COP 1.7M

179.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$379 COP 1.4M

165.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

163.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

106.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

115.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

274.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$512 COP 1.8M

599.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

13.43

-68.21%

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

Last update for Harstad: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 600% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 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

Harstad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harstad pays 600% 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Harstad. 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 $119 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,422 in Harstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Harstad. 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 Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harstad 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 139% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.