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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $4,355 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $5,681 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 43% less than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.3K

$23.41 NOK 218

-65.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 152.0K

$119 NOK 1,110

-59.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.8K

$12.56 NOK 117

-22.21%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,167

$6.72 NOK 62.6

-56.70%

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

$1.94 COP 6,122

$5.87 NOK 54.7

-66.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,792

$4.60 NOK 42.82

-66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,740

$12.33 NOK 115

-74.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$9.41 NOK 87.7

-39.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,296

$2.42 NOK 22.54

-43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,519

$4.34 NOK 40.42

-44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,356

$3.56 NOK 33.13

-52.25%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,038

$6.10 NOK 56.9

-52.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.3K

$13.26 NOK 124

-25.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 34.0K

$18.44 NOK 172

-41.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.4K

$35.83 NOK 334

-58.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.9K

$4.68 NOK 43.62

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,950

$3.55 NOK 33.03

-55.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,695

$4.46 NOK 41.58

-52.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,972

$5.21 NOK 48.57

-57.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,447

$2.95 NOK 27.45

-30.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,737

$2.83 NOK 26.35

-47.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,747

$2.96 NOK 27.61

-59.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,647

$2.40 NOK 22.37

-51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$16.07 NOK 150

-75.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.5K

$22.17 NOK 207

-34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,987

$3.58 NOK 33.35

-55.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,905

$4.28 NOK 39.88

-33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,679

$4.16 NOK 38.72

-71.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

$66.8 NOK 622

16.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,045

$12.99 NOK 121

-90.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,589

$1.69 NOK 15.76

23.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$72.7 NOK 677

-88.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,088

$2.39 NOK 22.29

-45.61%

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

$27.7K COP 87.1M

$42.7K NOK 397.8K

-35.23%

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

$35.5K COP 111.8M

$50.0K NOK 466.3K

-29.05%

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

$176 COP 554.5K

$338 NOK 3,153

-47.96%

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

$13.37 COP 42.1K

$46.68 NOK 435

-71.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.1K

$66.5 NOK 619

-55.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.0K

$59.1 NOK 550

-24.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

$41.58 NOK 387

-58.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$20.69 NOK 193

-70.03%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$174 NOK 1,621

356.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$11.1K NOK 103.3K

-18.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.6K

$162 NOK 1,508

-47.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 184.1K

$79.4 NOK 740

-26.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 429.3K

$144 NOK 1,343

-5.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.7K

$114 NOK 1,061

-9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$1,391 NOK 13.0K

-23.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$1,125 NOK 10.5K

-39.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,851 NOK 17.2K

8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,510 NOK 14.1K

-22.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$6,312 NOK 58.8K

-34.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

$4,204 NOK 39.2K

-59.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$3,454 NOK 32.2K

-80.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.95

121.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 419% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $119 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $560 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 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 419% lower in Fredrikstad. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $174 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad, a $2,500 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 77% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.