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: $2,626 in Harstad versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,908 in Harstad versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,189 in Harstad versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Harstad is roughly 56% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 92% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 NOK 134

$8.02 COP 25.0K

76.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 NOK 1,027

$47.87 COP 149.4K

127.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$9.89 COP 30.8K

63.50%

Cappuccino

$6.56 NOK 61.9

$3.13 COP 9,767

109.58%

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

$3.84 NOK 36.18

$1.91 COP 5,954

101.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.98

$1.51 COP 4,712

110.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.72 NOK 120

$3.12 COP 9,747

307.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.91 NOK 131

$5.75 COP 17.9K

141.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 24.32

$1.44 COP 4,509

79.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 NOK 32.77

$2.49 COP 7,759

39.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.06

$1.77 COP 5,535

86.44%

Eggs

$4.58 NOK 43.18

$2.96 COP 9,235

54.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 NOK 105

$10.07 COP 31.4K

11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 NOK 142

$10.12 COP 31.6K

49.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.47 NOK 400

$14.30 COP 44.6K

196.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 NOK 39.94

$4.14 COP 12.9K

2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.73

$1.61 COP 5,019

82.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 NOK 35.95

$2.25 COP 7,007

69.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 NOK 45.12

$2.25 COP 7,028

112.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.37

$2.04 COP 6,375

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.48

$1.54 COP 4,790

40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.50

$1.17 COP 3,651

158.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.71

$1.31 COP 4,077

83.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.82 NOK 158

$3.90 COP 12.2K

331.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 NOK 149

$14.01 COP 43.7K

12.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 NOK 38.03

$1.74 COP 5,439

132.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 NOK 46.97

$2.87 COP 8,956

73.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.22 NOK 58.6

$1.22 COP 3,792

409.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 NOK 796

$80.5 COP 251.1K

4.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.02 NOK 151

$1.31 COP 4,084

1122.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.32

$2.19 COP 6,825

-15.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 NOK 536

$8.71 COP 27.2K

553.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.20

$1.37 COP 4,260

64.23%

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

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

35.07%

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

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-10.58%

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

$168 NOK 1,582

$177 COP 553.2K

-5.32%

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

$34.80 NOK 328

$13.88 COP 43.3K

150.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 771

$29.72 COP 92.8K

175.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 NOK 482

$44.88 COP 140.1K

13.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.78 NOK 356

$17.12 COP 53.4K

120.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 NOK 165

$6.65 COP 20.7K

163.91%

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

$246 NOK 2,319

$813 COP 2.5M

-69.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-41.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 NOK 647

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-23.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 NOK 339

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-38.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,170

$138 COP 431.2K

-10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,580

$102 COP 318.7K

64.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

30.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

$663 COP 2.1M

64.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

22.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

48.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

48.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

146.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

$678 COP 2.1M

432.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-54.30%

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

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Harstad and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 432% 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: $109 in Harstad vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $520 vs $305 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 432% higher in Harstad, 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: $1,387 in Harstad versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% 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 $48.00 versus $109 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,626 in Harstad, a $2,500 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 56% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.