Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,507 in Lillestrom versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,952 in Lillestrom versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,397 in Lillestrom versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 148% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lillestrom is 87% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 NOK 193

$5.99 COP 21.5K

240.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 974

$32.86 COP 118.1K

213.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 NOK 101

$7.09 COP 25.5K

51.34%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.30

$1.71 COP 6,154

186.55%

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

$2.46 NOK 23.21

$1.10 COP 3,949

123.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.44

$0.78 COP 2,798

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.21 NOK 87.1

$1.68 COP 6,035

448.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.18 NOK 96.3

$3.07 COP 11.0K

231.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.02

$1.09 COP 3,930

94.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 NOK 30.88

$1.26 COP 4,536

159.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.31

$1.38 COP 4,953

139.86%

Eggs

$4.29 NOK 40.53

$2.19 COP 7,876

95.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 NOK 109

$4.40 COP 15.8K

162.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 NOK 133

$5.63 COP 20.2K

149.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.22 NOK 229

$8.89 COP 32.0K

172.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 28.99

$2.34 COP 8,401

31.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NOK 21.84

$1.06 COP 3,801

117.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.88

$1.50 COP 5,408

124.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.86

$1.38 COP 4,955

197.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.95

$1.15 COP 4,137

93.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 21.09

$1.16 COP 4,181

92.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NOK 18.62

$0.89 COP 3,202

121.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.43

$0.84 COP 3,016

119.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.29 NOK 135

$2.28 COP 8,196

526.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 160

$10.64 COP 38.2K

59.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.11

$1.20 COP 4,311

165.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 36.43

$2.47 COP 8,880

55.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.00

$0.86 COP 3,075

380.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 NOK 688

$41.40 COP 148.8K

75.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 NOK 48.84

$1.47 COP 5,297

251.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.80

$1.96 COP 7,053

-25.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NOK 571

$7.74 COP 27.8K

679.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.83

$0.95 COP 3,430

121.05%

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

$34.3K NOK 323.9K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

88.95%

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

$30.8K NOK 290.8K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

16.15%

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

$60.0 NOK 567

$82.3 COP 295.6K

-27.05%

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

$43.22 NOK 409

$9.50 COP 34.1K

354.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 NOK 351

$24.23 COP 87.1K

53.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 NOK 677

$25.89 COP 93.0K

176.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.55 NOK 166

$19.00 COP 68.3K

-7.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 NOK 141

$3.93 COP 14.1K

279.39%

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

$240 NOK 2,266

$309 COP 1.1M

-22.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,228 NOK 40.0K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

-29.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NOK 921

$58.7 COP 210.8K

65.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 NOK 444

$32.35 COP 116.2K

45.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 NOK 929

$103 COP 368.7K

-4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 NOK 1,703

$108 COP 389.6K

66.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 NOK 11.4K

$476 COP 1.7M

153.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 NOK 11.6K

$379 COP 1.4M

225.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 NOK 23.6K

$838 COP 3.0M

198.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 NOK 20.7K

$724 COP 2.6M

202.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,082 NOK 57.5K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

117.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,440 NOK 42.0K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

266.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,818 NOK 36.1K

$512 COP 1.8M

646.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

13.43

-67.39%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Lillestrom and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 646% 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: $103 in Lillestrom vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 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

Lillestrom vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 148% lower than in Lillestrom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lillestrom pays 646% 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: $1,208 in Lillestrom versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Lillestrom versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,507 in Lillestrom, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lillestrom 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 148% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.