Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,615 in Lillestrom, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lillestrom
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,615
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lillestrom and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lillestrom and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,615 in Lillestrom versus $1,625 in Medellin.

  • Lillestrom $2,615
  • Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,023 in Lillestrom versus $2,412 in Medellin.

  • Lillestrom $4,023
  • Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,432 in Lillestrom versus $3,199 in Medellin.

  • Lillestrom $5,432
  • Medellin $3,199

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 61% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 93% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.91 NOK 197
$8.30 COP 26.3K
151.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$121 NOK 1,135
$46.91 COP 148.7K
157.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 NOK 104
$9.24 COP 29.3K
19.59%
Cappuccino
$6.17 NOK 58.1
$3.05 COP 9,676
102.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.05 NOK 38.09
$1.80 COP 5,707
125.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 NOK 29.36
$1.38 COP 4,382
126.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.80 NOK 111
$3.24 COP 10.3K
264.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.45 NOK 98.4
$5.56 COP 17.6K
87.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.45 NOK 23.10
$1.50 COP 4,760
63.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.62 NOK 34.06
$2.37 COP 7,508
52.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.08 NOK 38.37
$1.70 COP 5,377
140.00%
Eggs
$5.73 NOK 53.9
$2.96 COP 9,379
93.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 NOK 123
$10.22 COP 32.4K
27.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.77 NOK 130
$9.74 COP 30.9K
41.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.30 NOK 257
$13.90 COP 44.1K
96.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 NOK 32.55
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-16.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.81 NOK 26.45
$1.53 COP 4,839
83.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.08 NOK 38.40
$2.22 COP 7,052
83.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.45 NOK 51.3
$2.27 COP 7,194
140.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.75 NOK 25.85
$1.99 COP 6,311
38.19%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 NOK 34.71
$1.67 COP 5,285
120.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.79 NOK 16.80
$1.18 COP 3,742
51.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 NOK 21.44
$1.24 COP 3,919
83.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.49 NOK 165
$3.87 COP 12.3K
351.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.88 NOK 159
$13.78 COP 43.7K
22.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.57 NOK 52.5
$1.66 COP 5,256
235.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.86 NOK 55.1
$2.40 COP 7,615
144.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.46 NOK 42.01
$1.24 COP 3,944
259.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.8 NOK 789
$78.2 COP 248.0K
7.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.92 NOK 112
$1.28 COP 4,044
831.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 NOK 17.44
$2.15 COP 6,803
-13.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$69.1 NOK 650
$8.37 COP 26.5K
725.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 NOK 21.53
$1.35 COP 4,288
69.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.5K NOK 456.4K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
39.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.4K NOK 418.1K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
28.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$269 NOK 2,532
$167 COP 528.4K
61.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.87 NOK 309
$13.62 COP 43.2K
141.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.5 NOK 494
$29.12 COP 92.3K
80.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.58 NOK 467
$45.09 COP 143.0K
9.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$36.47 NOK 343
$17.18 COP 54.5K
112.28%
Cinema Ticket
$17.09 NOK 161
$6.97 COP 22.1K
145.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$238 NOK 2,244
$790 COP 2.5M
-69.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K NOK 122.8K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
44.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 NOK 955
$87.8 COP 278.4K
15.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 NOK 525
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-4.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 NOK 1,186
$139 COP 440.7K
-9.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$158 NOK 1,484
$98.9 COP 313.5K
59.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,245 NOK 11.7K
$1,028 COP 3.3M
21.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$982 NOK 9,242
$620 COP 2.0M
58.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,945 NOK 18.3K
$1,881 COP 6.0M
3.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,658 NOK 15.6K
$1,008 COP 3.2M
64.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,206 NOK 58.4K
$3,988 COP 12.6M
55.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,015 NOK 37.8K
$1,702 COP 5.4M
135.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lillestrom
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,767 NOK 35.5K
$663 COP 2.1M
467.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.94
10.94
-54.84%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lillestrom
$982
Medellin
$619 36.9% $362
Groceries & Markets
Lillestrom
$491
Medellin
$298 39.3% $193
Eating Out
Lillestrom
$383
Medellin
$171 55.4% $212
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillestrom
$354
Medellin
$209 40.9% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Lillestrom
$198
Medellin
$173 12.9% $26
Getting Around
Lillestrom
$123
Medellin
$95 22.5% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Lillestrom
$84
Medellin
$59 29.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,245 in Lillestrom and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 468% 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 Lillestrom vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $491 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Lillestrom
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
05:03 5:03 AM
22:03 10:03 PM
7 h behind Lillestrom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
94,585
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lillestrom Medellin 9,230 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lillestrom
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Lillestrom or Medellin?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 61% 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.
Are salaries higher in Lillestrom or in Medellin?
Average pay runs 468% higher in Lillestrom, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lillestrom compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,245 in Lillestrom versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lillestrom and in Medellin?
Childcare runs $238 in Lillestrom versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Lillestrom or in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Lillestrom or in Medellin?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,615 in Lillestrom, a $2,500 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lillestrom or Medellin?
Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.
How safe is Lillestrom compared to Medellin?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lillestrom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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