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: $2,675 in Lillestrom versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,144 in Lillestrom versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,613 in Lillestrom versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 56% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 95% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.84 NOK 203

$8.03 COP 25.1K

171.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,157

$48.26 COP 150.8K

157.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 NOK 107

$9.77 COP 30.5K

17.40%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 57.8

$2.91 COP 9,095

113.40%

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

$4.09 NOK 38.07

$1.94 COP 6,074

110.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.62

$1.52 COP 4,754

116.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.09 NOK 112

$3.09 COP 9,663

291.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.79 NOK 100

$5.74 COP 17.9K

87.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$1.36 COP 4,262

83.82%

White Bread (500g)

$5.05 NOK 47.00

$2.39 COP 7,460

111.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 NOK 39.08

$1.70 COP 5,314

147.06%

Eggs

$5.88 NOK 54.8

$2.87 COP 8,967

104.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$9.94 COP 31.1K

35.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 NOK 132

$10.78 COP 33.7K

31.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.86 NOK 259

$14.73 COP 46.0K

89.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.89

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-11.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 NOK 26.54

$1.57 COP 4,911

81.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 NOK 38.77

$2.13 COP 6,642

95.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 NOK 49.33

$2.21 COP 6,917

139.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.60

$2.05 COP 6,396

44.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 34.98

$1.50 COP 4,700

150.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 NOK 17.80

$1.19 COP 3,718

60.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NOK 21.43

$1.16 COP 3,619

98.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.05 NOK 168

$3.90 COP 12.2K

362.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.39 NOK 162

$14.44 COP 45.1K

20.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.81 NOK 54.0

$1.58 COP 4,948

267.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 NOK 53.5

$2.83 COP 8,836

103.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.85 NOK 45.12

$1.17 COP 3,650

314.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NOK 796

$77.7 COP 242.9K

10.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 NOK 122

$1.28 COP 4,014

920.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 17.74

$2.09 COP 6,537

-8.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.2 NOK 579

$8.62 COP 26.9K

621.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.71

$1.30 COP 4,056

79.23%

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

$48.6K NOK 451.9K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

75.56%

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

$43.3K NOK 403.2K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

22.03%

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

$237 NOK 2,203

$176 COP 550.1K

34.45%

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

$30.39 NOK 283

$13.37 COP 41.8K

127.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 525

$29.89 COP 93.4K

88.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 NOK 472

$44.76 COP 139.8K

13.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.77 NOK 342

$17.06 COP 53.3K

115.53%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 NOK 164

$6.20 COP 19.4K

185.00%

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

$316 NOK 2,944

$793 COP 2.5M

-60.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 114.2K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

36.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 944

$85.6 COP 267.5K

18.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 525

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,176

$136 COP 425.9K

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$103 COP 322.2K

57.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 NOK 12.1K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NOK 9,496

$680 COP 2.1M

50.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 NOK 18.8K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

0.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 NOK 15.7K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

44.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,118 NOK 66.2K

$4,111 COP 12.8M

73.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 NOK 34.3K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

116.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 NOK 35.2K

$665 COP 2.1M

469.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

10.94

-54.66%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,300 in Lillestrom and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 469% 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: $124 in Lillestrom vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 vs $303 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 56% 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.

Average pay runs 469% higher in Lillestrom, 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: $1,300 in Lillestrom versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Lillestrom versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,675 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,716 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 56% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.