Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fredrikstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fredrikstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $4,055 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $5,418 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 62% less than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Fredrikstad is 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$18.53 NOK 173

-67.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$110 NOK 1,020

-70.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$11.98 NOK 112

-40.82%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$5.16 NOK 48.01

-66.86%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$3.90 NOK 36.32

-71.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$2.80 NOK 26.03

-72.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$11.30 NOK 105

-85.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$10.19 NOK 94.9

-69.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$2.17 NOK 20.22

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$4.45 NOK 41.44

-71.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$3.23 NOK 30.06

-57.28%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$5.46 NOK 50.9

-59.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$11.89 NOK 111

-62.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$15.75 NOK 147

-64.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$33.73 NOK 314

-73.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$4.74 NOK 44.15

-50.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$3.45 NOK 32.16

-69.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$4.50 NOK 41.92

-66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$5.06 NOK 47.10

-72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$2.89 NOK 26.87

-60.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$2.75 NOK 25.64

-57.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$2.73 NOK 25.46

-67.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.82 NOK 16.98

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$15.09 NOK 141

-84.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$22.89 NOK 213

-53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$3.32 NOK 30.87

-63.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$6.01 NOK 55.9

-58.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$3.90 NOK 36.29

-77.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$62.3 NOK 580

-33.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$6.15 NOK 57.2

-76.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$1.46 NOK 13.59

34.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$53.8 NOK 501

-85.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$2.32 NOK 21.63

-59.05%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$35.3K NOK 328.7K

-48.65%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$37.8K NOK 352.3K

-30.01%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$336 NOK 3,125

-75.50%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$38.13 NOK 355

-75.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$56.0 NOK 521

-56.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$48.08 NOK 448

-46.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$39.46 NOK 367

-51.85%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$21.86 NOK 203

-82.02%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$283 NOK 2,634

9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$10.1K NOK 94.1K

-41.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$149 NOK 1,386

-60.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$61.3 NOK 571

-47.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$166 NOK 1,542

-38.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$134 NOK 1,244

-18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$1,288 NOK 12.0K

-63.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$953 NOK 8,869

-60.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,048 NOK 19.1K

-59.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,537 NOK 14.3K

-52.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$6,150 NOK 57.3K

-54.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$4,533 NOK 42.2K

-73.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$3,416 NOK 31.8K

-85.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.25

216.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 567% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $110 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $526 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

Medellin vs Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Fredrikstad earns 567% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $283 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fredrikstad. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Fredrikstad 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 166% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.