Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Harstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Harstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,626 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $3,908 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $5,189 in Harstad.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 36% less than in Harstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Harstad 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$14.17 NOK 134

-43.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$109 NOK 1,027

-56.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$16.17 NOK 152

-38.84%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$6.56 NOK 61.9

-52.29%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$3.84 NOK 36.18

-50.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$3.18 NOK 29.98

-52.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$12.72 NOK 120

-75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$13.91 NOK 131

-58.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.58 NOK 24.32

-44.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$3.48 NOK 32.77

-28.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.30 NOK 31.06

-46.36%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.58 NOK 43.18

-35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.19 NOK 105

-10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$15.09 NOK 142

-32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$42.47 NOK 400

-66.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$4.24 NOK 39.94

-2.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.94 NOK 27.73

-45.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.82 NOK 35.95

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$4.79 NOK 45.12

-53.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.16 NOK 20.37

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.17 NOK 20.48

-29.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$3.02 NOK 28.50

-61.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$2.41 NOK 22.71

-45.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$16.82 NOK 158

-76.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$15.81 NOK 149

-11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$4.04 NOK 38.03

-56.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$4.98 NOK 46.97

-42.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$6.22 NOK 58.6

-80.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$84.4 NOK 796

-4.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$16.02 NOK 151

-91.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.84 NOK 17.32

19.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$56.9 NOK 536

-84.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.25 NOK 21.20

-39.11%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

-25.96%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

11.83%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$168 NOK 1,582

5.62%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$34.80 NOK 328

-60.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$81.9 NOK 771

-63.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$51.1 NOK 482

-12.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$37.78 NOK 356

-54.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$17.55 NOK 165

-62.11%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$246 NOK 2,319

230.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

70.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$68.7 NOK 647

30.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.02 NOK 339

63.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$124 NOK 1,170

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$168 NOK 1,580

-39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

-39.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

-18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

-32.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

-32.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

-59.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

-81.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,387 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 432% 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 $109 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $520 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 432% lower in Harstad. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,387 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Harstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $109 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,626 in Harstad, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Harstad. 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 Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Harstad 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 56% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.