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: $2,539 in Lillestrom versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,976 in Lillestrom versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,413 in Lillestrom versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 147% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lillestrom is 89% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 NOK 194

$5.92 COP 21.2K

251.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$33.17 COP 118.7K

201.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 NOK 102

$7.25 COP 25.9K

50.62%

Cappuccino

$4.84 NOK 45.03

$1.71 COP 6,137

183.04%

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

$2.42 NOK 22.51

$1.09 COP 3,915

122.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.05

$0.77 COP 2,743

180.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.90 NOK 82.7

$1.75 COP 6,254

408.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 95.0

$3.18 COP 11.4K

221.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.16

$1.06 COP 3,792

104.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.44

$1.30 COP 4,657

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.53

$1.38 COP 4,926

129.71%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 38.52

$2.21 COP 7,908

87.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 NOK 106

$4.52 COP 16.2K

151.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.98 NOK 130

$5.80 COP 20.7K

141.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.65 NOK 229

$8.97 COP 32.1K

174.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 28.96

$2.29 COP 8,182

35.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.57

$1.06 COP 3,791

118.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.47

$1.51 COP 5,411

117.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 NOK 38.79

$1.36 COP 4,869

206.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NOK 20.49

$1.16 COP 4,146

89.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.64

$1.17 COP 4,174

89.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.67

$0.83 COP 2,960

142.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 16.90

$0.85 COP 3,043

114.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 NOK 130

$2.35 COP 8,423

494.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.08 NOK 159

$11.09 COP 39.7K

54.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.60

$1.15 COP 4,133

176.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 NOK 37.78

$2.47 COP 8,853

64.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 38.87

$0.79 COP 2,827

429.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 NOK 681

$41.85 COP 149.8K

74.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 NOK 46.95

$1.44 COP 5,140

250.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.93

$1.90 COP 6,793

-26.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 NOK 573

$7.70 COP 27.6K

700.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.45

$1.03 COP 3,680

113.59%

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

$34.4K NOK 319.7K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

94.44%

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

$30.7K NOK 285.2K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

13.52%

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

$60.9 NOK 566

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-25.23%

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

$44.30 NOK 412

$9.42 COP 33.7K

370.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.96 NOK 353

$23.77 COP 85.1K

59.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 NOK 653

$25.86 COP 92.6K

171.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 NOK 168

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-6.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 NOK 139

$4.05 COP 14.5K

268.40%

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

$233 NOK 2,168

$312 COP 1.1M

-25.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 NOK 38.4K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

-31.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 NOK 893

$58.9 COP 210.7K

63.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.15 NOK 439

$32.82 COP 117.5K

43.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 NOK 919

$100 COP 359.6K

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 NOK 1,653

$106 COP 380.3K

67.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 NOK 11.3K

$490 COP 1.8M

149.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 NOK 11.3K

$371 COP 1.3M

227.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 NOK 23.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

201.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 NOK 20.9K

$715 COP 2.6M

214.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,923 NOK 55.1K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

100.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,555 NOK 42.4K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

226.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,858 NOK 35.9K

$532 COP 1.9M

625.09%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,220 in Lillestrom and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 625% 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: $100 in Lillestrom vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 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

Lillestrom vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 147% 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 625% 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: $1,220 in Lillestrom versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $233 in Lillestrom versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $2,539 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 $1,030 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 147% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.