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: $2,485 in Harstad versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Harstad versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Harstad versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Harstad is roughly 141% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 85% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 NOK 125

$5.92 COP 21.2K

127.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,145

$33.17 COP 118.7K

271.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 NOK 140

$7.25 COP 25.9K

108.41%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 55.7

$1.71 COP 6,137

250.29%

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

$3.44 NOK 31.99

$1.09 COP 3,915

215.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.55

$0.77 COP 2,743

298.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$1.75 COP 6,254

534.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.20 NOK 104

$3.18 COP 11.4K

252.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.67

$1.06 COP 3,792

119.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 NOK 29.38

$1.30 COP 4,657

143.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.84

$1.38 COP 4,926

124.64%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$2.21 COP 7,908

93.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 98.2

$4.52 COP 16.2K

133.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 NOK 141

$5.80 COP 20.7K

161.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.04 NOK 354

$8.97 COP 32.1K

324.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$2.29 COP 8,182

69.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$1.06 COP 3,791

161.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.72

$1.51 COP 5,411

133.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.16

$1.36 COP 4,869

241.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.54

$1.16 COP 4,146

71.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.10

$1.17 COP 4,174

75.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$0.83 COP 2,960

222.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.40

$0.85 COP 3,043

107.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.25 NOK 142

$2.35 COP 8,423

548.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$11.09 COP 39.7K

47.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.66

$1.15 COP 4,133

214.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.14

$2.47 COP 8,853

83.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.03 NOK 56.1

$0.79 COP 2,827

663.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 737

$41.85 COP 149.8K

89.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$1.44 COP 5,140

790.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.41

$1.90 COP 6,793

-24.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 NOK 470

$7.70 COP 27.6K

556.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$1.03 COP 3,680

106.80%

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

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

89.66%

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

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

12.36%

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

$159 NOK 1,480

$81.4 COP 291.4K

95.49%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$9.42 COP 33.7K

255.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 714

$23.77 COP 85.1K

222.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 NOK 451

$25.86 COP 92.6K

87.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$19.34 COP 69.2K

83.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 NOK 155

$4.05 COP 14.5K

311.11%

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

$336 NOK 3,125

$312 COP 1.1M

7.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

-16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 718

$58.9 COP 210.7K

31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 304

$32.82 COP 117.5K

-0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,089

$100 COP 359.6K

16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,260

$106 COP 380.3K

27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

$490 COP 1.8M

171.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,498

$371 COP 1.3M

175.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

162.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

$715 COP 2.6M

101.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

102.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

232.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

$532 COP 1.9M

569.64%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Harstad and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 570% 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 Harstad vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 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

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 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harstad pays 570% 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: $1,331 in Harstad versus $490 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 $123 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $2,485 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 141% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.