Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,380 in Hamar, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Hamar
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,380
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hamar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,380 in Hamar.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Hamar $2,380

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $3,750 in Hamar.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Hamar $3,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $5,120 in Hamar.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Hamar $5,120

Living in Medellin costs roughly 32% less than in Hamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Hamar 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$21.18 NOK 199
-62.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$125 NOK 1,180
-63.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$15.83 NOK 149
-39.99%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$5.76 NOK 54.2
-46.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$4.21 NOK 39.63
-56.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$3.28 NOK 30.85
-57.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$11.49 NOK 108
-73.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$8.07 NOK 76.0
-31.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$2.50 NOK 23.53
-42.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$2.93 NOK 27.57
-19.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$2.06 NOK 19.36
-18.45%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$5.76 NOK 54.3
-50.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$11.05 NOK 104
-7.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$12.20 NOK 115
-21.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$31.42 NOK 296
-55.32%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$3.21 NOK 30.26
26.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$2.57 NOK 24.17
-41.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$3.05 NOK 28.74
-28.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$5.89 NOK 55.5
-60.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$2.48 NOK 23.34
-22.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$2.44 NOK 22.95
-32.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$2.12 NOK 19.97
-46.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$1.99 NOK 18.74
-37.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$18.94 NOK 178
-78.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$16.40 NOK 154
-18.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$3.38 NOK 31.78
-49.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$4.18 NOK 39.37
-43.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$4.66 NOK 43.87
-74.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$67.5 NOK 635
13.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$11.92 NOK 112
-88.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.78 NOK 16.76
20.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$69.5 NOK 654
-87.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$2.37 NOK 22.32
-45.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$47.8K NOK 449.5K
-41.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$43.6K NOK 410.2K
-18.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$223 NOK 2,104
-22.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$33.07 NOK 311
-59.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$54.1 NOK 509
-46.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$58.2 NOK 548
-22.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$29.40 NOK 277
-42.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$19.79 NOK 186
-68.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$207 NOK 1,948
272.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$15.8K NOK 148.3K
-42.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$102 NOK 959
-15.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$59.5 NOK 560
-4.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$131 NOK 1,230
4.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$104 NOK 977
-5.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$1,227 NOK 11.6K
-14.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$847 NOK 7,973
-27.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$1,578 NOK 14.9K
19.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$1,489 NOK 14.0K
-31.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$4,302 NOK 40.5K
-5.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$3,421 NOK 32.2K
-50.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Hamar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$4,269 NOK 40.2K
-84.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.94
121.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hamar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Hamar
$847 37.5% $231
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Hamar
$450 52.6% $155
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Hamar
$311 45% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Hamar
$178 4.7% $8.1
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Hamar
$390 131% $221
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Hamar
$107 14.6% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Hamar
$98 69.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $1,227 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 554% 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 $125 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $450 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇳🇴 Hamar
🕒 Local time
14:59 2:59 PM
21:59 9:59 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
33,059
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Hamar 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Hamar

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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Hamar?
Medellin and Hamar differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $2,380 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 554% lower in Hamar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Hamar?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,227 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $125 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,380 in Hamar, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hamar. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Hamar?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Hamar?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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