Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fredrikstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,983 in Fredrikstad, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Fredrikstad
Learn more

Fredrikstad Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Fredrikstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Fredrikstad

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 Fredrikstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,983 in Fredrikstad.

Medellin $1,614
Fredrikstad $2,983

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $4,345 in Fredrikstad.

Medellin $2,402
Fredrikstad $4,345

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $5,707 in Fredrikstad.

Medellin $3,190
Fredrikstad $5,707

Living in Medellin costs roughly 46% less than in Fredrikstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$26.28 NOK 247

-69.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$124 NOK 1,170

-62.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$12.65 NOK 119

-24.90%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$6.77 NOK 63.7

-54.06%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$5.55 NOK 52.3

-67.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$4.39 NOK 41.36

-68.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$11.55 NOK 109

-73.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$9.57 NOK 90.1

-42.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.34 NOK 22.00

-38.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$4.31 NOK 40.56

-45.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.43 NOK 32.31

-51.02%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.82 NOK 54.8

-50.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$13.06 NOK 123

-21.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$17.96 NOK 169

-46.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$34.38 NOK 324

-59.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.37 NOK 31.71

20.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.64 NOK 34.24

-58.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.30 NOK 40.49

-49.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.00 NOK 47.06

-53.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.63 NOK 24.74

-26.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.71 NOK 25.53

-39.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.82 NOK 26.50

-59.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$2.33 NOK 21.95

-46.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$15.51 NOK 146

-74.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$22.16 NOK 209

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$3.49 NOK 32.81

-51.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$4.39 NOK 41.34

-46.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$4.11 NOK 38.71

-70.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$64.5 NOK 607

18.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$12.56 NOK 118

-89.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.00 NOK 18.79

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$70.1 NOK 660

-87.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$2.30 NOK 21.64

-43.48%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$49.8K NOK 468.4K

-43.75%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$46.9K NOK 441.1K

-24.42%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$331 NOK 3,118

-48.05%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$45.60 NOK 429

-70.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$66.9 NOK 630

-57.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$58.3 NOK 549

-22.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$40.86 NOK 385

-58.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$20.19 NOK 190

-68.90%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$168 NOK 1,579

359.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$12.5K NOK 117.8K

-28.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$155 NOK 1,459

-44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$78.7 NOK 741

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$144 NOK 1,358

-5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$112 NOK 1,051

-12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,329 NOK 12.5K

-20.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

-45.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,822 NOK 17.1K

3.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,516 NOK 14.3K

-32.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$6,022 NOK 56.7K

-32.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$4,131 NOK 38.9K

-59.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,372 NOK 31.7K

-80.65%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Fredrikstad

$1.1K 37.9% 83.7% $515

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Fredrikstad

$540 18.1% 83.1% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Fredrikstad

$444 14.9% 107% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Fredrikstad

$220 7.4% 29.5% $50

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Fredrikstad

$446 15% 165% $278

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Fredrikstad

$103 3.5% 10.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Fredrikstad

$99 3.3% 70.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 417% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $124 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $540 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇴 Fredrikstad

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

85,267

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Fredrikstad 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Fredrikstad

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 Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 417% 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: $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $168 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,983 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 85% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.