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: $2,470 in Harstad versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Harstad versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,993 in Harstad versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Harstad is roughly 143% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 85% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 NOK 130

$5.93 COP 19.1K

129.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,156

$33.12 COP 106.5K

264.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 NOK 146

$7.12 COP 22.9K

114.19%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 59.4

$1.71 COP 5,484

263.16%

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

$3.62 NOK 34.61

$1.05 COP 3,373

244.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 NOK 29.83

$0.72 COP 2,323

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 105

$1.72 COP 5,529

538.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.23 NOK 108

$3.17 COP 10.2K

254.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.41

$1.06 COP 3,425

131.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.58

$1.31 COP 4,213

151.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.88

$1.33 COP 4,277

127.07%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 39.66

$2.28 COP 7,334

81.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 NOK 100

$4.42 COP 14.2K

136.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 148

$5.92 COP 19.0K

160.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.05 NOK 355

$8.64 COP 27.8K

328.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 NOK 38.80

$2.34 COP 7,541

73.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.51

$1.10 COP 3,544

141.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.77

$1.47 COP 4,721

140.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NOK 44.48

$1.38 COP 4,437

236.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.70

$1.17 COP 3,772

76.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.93

$1.17 COP 3,763

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 NOK 25.57

$0.90 COP 2,904

196.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.85

$0.84 COP 2,707

109.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 143

$2.33 COP 7,486

540.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 NOK 152

$11.92 COP 38.3K

32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.29

$1.15 COP 3,692

202.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.96

$2.42 COP 7,787

94.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 NOK 58.5

$0.84 COP 2,700

627.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 759

$40.83 COP 131.3K

94.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.53 NOK 120

$1.41 COP 4,539

788.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.42

$1.91 COP 6,157

-26.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 486

$7.83 COP 25.2K

549.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.50

$0.94 COP 3,035

127.66%

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

$33.3K NOK 319.0K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

87.07%

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

$30.4K NOK 291.0K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

12.25%

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

$162 NOK 1,552

$83.3 COP 267.8K

94.74%

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

$32.24 NOK 309

$9.66 COP 31.1K

233.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 734

$24.22 COP 77.9K

216.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.64 NOK 466

$25.22 COP 81.1K

92.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 NOK 339

$19.33 COP 62.2K

83.03%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 NOK 161

$4.07 COP 13.1K

312.29%

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

$334 NOK 3,194

$307 COP 986.0K

8.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,159 NOK 49.4K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

-13.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 NOK 718

$60.0 COP 192.8K

25.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 NOK 318

$32.65 COP 105.0K

1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,131

$101 COP 325.1K

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 NOK 1,303

$108 COP 347.5K

26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 NOK 12.4K

$476 COP 1.5M

172.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NOK 9,627

$379 COP 1.2M

165.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 NOK 20.9K

$816 COP 2.6M

168.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 NOK 14.1K

$707 COP 2.3M

107.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,805 NOK 55.6K

$3,190 COP 10.3M

82.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 NOK 38.0K

$1,446 COP 4.7M

174.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 NOK 32.3K

$622 COP 2.0M

441.96%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Harstad and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 442% 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 Harstad vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 vs $192 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 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 442% 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: $1,298 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 150% 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 $121 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,470 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 143% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.