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: $2,557 in Lillestrom versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,952 in Lillestrom versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,346 in Lillestrom versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 151% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lillestrom is 91% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 NOK 199

$5.93 COP 19.0K

250.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.8 NOK 957

$33.12 COP 106.0K

201.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 NOK 106

$7.12 COP 22.8K

54.63%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.96

$1.71 COP 5,457

186.55%

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

$2.51 NOK 24.07

$1.05 COP 3,356

139.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NOK 21.02

$0.72 COP 2,311

204.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 NOK 89.0

$1.72 COP 5,502

439.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.20 NOK 97.8

$3.17 COP 10.2K

221.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.98

$1.06 COP 3,408

106.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 NOK 32.05

$1.31 COP 4,192

154.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 31.18

$1.33 COP 4,256

144.36%

Eggs

$4.17 NOK 40.01

$2.28 COP 7,298

82.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 NOK 110

$4.42 COP 14.1K

160.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 NOK 131

$5.92 COP 18.9K

130.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.08 NOK 241

$8.64 COP 27.7K

190.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 30.16

$2.34 COP 7,504

34.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NOK 22.47

$1.10 COP 3,527

112.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 32.26

$1.47 COP 4,698

128.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NOK 38.63

$1.38 COP 4,415

192.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.63

$1.17 COP 3,754

93.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 20.37

$1.17 COP 3,744

81.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NOK 19.91

$0.90 COP 2,890

131.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.16

$0.84 COP 2,693

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.44 NOK 139

$2.33 COP 7,449

519.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 NOK 161

$11.92 COP 38.1K

41.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NOK 30.42

$1.15 COP 3,673

175.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 NOK 37.09

$2.42 COP 7,749

59.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.06

$0.84 COP 2,687

397.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NOK 699

$40.83 COP 130.7K

78.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 NOK 47.72

$1.41 COP 4,517

253.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.47

$1.91 COP 6,127

-26.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.0 NOK 585

$7.83 COP 25.0K

678.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.66

$0.94 COP 3,020

128.72%

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

$34.5K NOK 330.6K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

93.49%

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

$30.7K NOK 294.5K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

13.38%

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

$60.1 NOK 576

$83.3 COP 266.4K

-27.88%

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

$43.09 NOK 413

$9.66 COP 30.9K

346.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.40 NOK 359

$24.22 COP 77.5K

54.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 NOK 681

$25.22 COP 80.7K

181.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.77 NOK 170

$19.33 COP 61.9K

-8.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.42 NOK 138

$4.07 COP 13.0K

254.30%

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

$237 NOK 2,276

$307 COP 981.2K

-22.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,234 NOK 40.6K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

-29.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 NOK 932

$60.0 COP 191.9K

62.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.01 NOK 460

$32.65 COP 104.5K

47.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 NOK 945

$101 COP 323.5K

-2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 NOK 1,720

$108 COP 345.7K

66.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 NOK 11.6K

$476 COP 1.5M

154.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 NOK 11.5K

$379 COP 1.2M

217.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 NOK 23.7K

$816 COP 2.6M

203.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 NOK 21.2K

$707 COP 2.3M

212.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,785 NOK 65.1K

$3,190 COP 10.2M

112.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,466 NOK 42.8K

$1,446 COP 4.6M

208.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,658 NOK 35.1K

$622 COP 2.0M

488.35%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Lillestrom and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 488% 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 $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 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

Lillestrom vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 151% 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 488% 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: $1,212 in Lillestrom versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $237 in Lillestrom versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,557 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 $1,018 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 151% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.