Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baerum

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,200 in Baerum, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Baerum, Norway
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Baerum
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,200
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Baerum

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,200 in Baerum, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Baerum $3,200

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,976 in Baerum, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Baerum $4,976

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $6,752 in Baerum, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Baerum $6,752

Medellin is about 49% cheaper than Baerum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Baerum sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Baerum by 135%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$21.48 NOK 200
-62.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$131 NOK 1,217
-64.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$16.27 NOK 151
-41.61%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$6.07 NOK 56.4
-50.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$4.30 NOK 39.97
-58.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$3.35 NOK 31.11
-57.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$11.64 NOK 108
-72.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$13.09 NOK 122
-56.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$2.49 NOK 23.09
-39.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$3.67 NOK 34.12
-35.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$4.92 NOK 45.73
-64.02%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$5.89 NOK 54.7
-50.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$10.74 NOK 99.8
-5.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$15.80 NOK 147
-37.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$32.14 NOK 299
-56.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$2.70 NOK 25.05
47.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$2.09 NOK 19.45
-25.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$2.10 NOK 19.49
3.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$4.39 NOK 40.74
-50.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.74 NOK 16.20
12.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$2.87 NOK 26.64
-44.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$3.29 NOK 30.53
-65.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$2.53 NOK 23.50
-50.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$19.05 NOK 177
-79.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$17.01 NOK 158
-19.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$3.64 NOK 33.80
-54.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$4.46 NOK 41.48
-49.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$4.40 NOK 40.89
-73.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$12.34 NOK 115
-89.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.83 NOK 16.96
12.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$70.7 NOK 657
-87.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$2.35 NOK 21.83
-42.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$29.2K NOK 271.3K
16.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$26.1K NOK 242.3K
32.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$340 NOK 3,154
-50.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$34.21 NOK 318
-60.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$55.3 NOK 514
-49.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$54.7 NOK 508
-20.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$15.85 NOK 147
-56.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$245 NOK 2,278
224.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$16.0K NOK 148.2K
-42.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$103 NOK 956
-17.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$62.4 NOK 580
-7.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$135 NOK 1,255
-0.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$160 NOK 1,483
-38.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$1,747 NOK 16.2K
-30.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$1,546 NOK 14.4K
-58.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$3,538 NOK 32.9K
-42.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$2,995 NOK 27.8K
-66.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$11.3K NOK 105.4K
-63.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$10.1K NOK 94.1K
-81.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Baerum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$5,569 NOK 51.7K
-88.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.6
137.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baerum: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Baerum
$1.5K 141% $904
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Baerum
$484 63.1% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Baerum
$429 103% $218
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Baerum
$408 141% $239
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Baerum
$207 22.5% $38
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Baerum
$39 * 58.2% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Baerum
$86 50.2% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,747 in Baerum. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Baerum are about 8.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $131 in Baerum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $484 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇳🇴 Baerum
🕒 Local time
15:48 3:48 PM
21:48 9:48 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
131,136
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Baerum 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Baerum

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
Medellin vs Baerum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Baerum?
Yes – Baerum is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,800 in Baerum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,747 in Baerum.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Baerum?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $3,200 in Baerum. That makes Medellin about 49% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $245 in Baerum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Baerum?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Baerum at $3,200. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baerum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Baerum?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $3,200 in Baerum. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baerum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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