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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,409 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $3,726 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $5,042 in Harstad.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 58% less than in Harstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Harstad is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$13.75 NOK 130

-57.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$121 NOK 1,147

-72.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$14.90 NOK 141

-50.13%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$6.15 NOK 58.3

-73.17%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$3.48 NOK 33.02

-68.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$2.99 NOK 28.39

-73.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$11.09 NOK 105

-84.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$11.02 NOK 104

-71.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$2.36 NOK 22.35

-53.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$3.24 NOK 30.76

-61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$3.05 NOK 28.94

-54.75%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$4.12 NOK 39.10

-47.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$10.32 NOK 97.9

-56.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$15.36 NOK 146

-62.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$37.92 NOK 360

-76.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$3.86 NOK 36.57

-39.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$2.67 NOK 25.35

-60.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$3.57 NOK 33.90

-57.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$4.42 NOK 41.89

-69.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.97 NOK 18.71

-42.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$2.06 NOK 19.50

-43.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$2.65 NOK 25.12

-66.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$1.77 NOK 16.81

-49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$14.88 NOK 141

-85.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$15.60 NOK 148

-22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$3.67 NOK 34.77

-67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$4.65 NOK 44.10

-46.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$5.94 NOK 56.3

-85.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$79.2 NOK 751

-47.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$12.40 NOK 118

-88.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.40 NOK 13.31

39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$50.3 NOK 477

-84.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$2.23 NOK 21.15

-55.61%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$33.0K NOK 313.2K

-46.71%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$30.8K NOK 292.1K

-13.02%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$161 NOK 1,530

-48.54%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$33.09 NOK 314

-70.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$74.4 NOK 706

-68.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$48.47 NOK 460

-47.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$34.73 NOK 329

-45.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$16.56 NOK 157

-76.15%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$328 NOK 3,107

-3.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$4,983 NOK 47.2K

19.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$74.9 NOK 711

-19.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$32.93 NOK 312

-3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$115 NOK 1,087

-11.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$132 NOK 1,253

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$1,290 NOK 12.2K

-63.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$1,019 NOK 9,659

-63.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$2,174 NOK 20.6K

-60.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$1,449 NOK 13.7K

-50.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$5,899 NOK 55.9K

-44.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$4,054 NOK 38.4K

-64.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$3,382 NOK 32.1K

-81.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.27

214.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Harstad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $1,290 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 442% 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 $121 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $479 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 442% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $1,290 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 148% 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 $33.00 versus $121 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,409 in Harstad, a $1,500 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 140% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.