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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,467 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $3,691 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $4,916 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 23% below, Harstad is 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$13.36 NOK 127

-55.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$122 NOK 1,155

-73.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$15.42 NOK 146

-51.88%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$5.97 NOK 56.5

-72.36%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$3.46 NOK 32.77

-69.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$3.01 NOK 28.49

-74.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$11.30 NOK 107

-84.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$11.19 NOK 106

-71.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$2.32 NOK 21.93

-54.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$3.16 NOK 29.96

-58.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$2.96 NOK 27.99

-54.73%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$4.19 NOK 39.68

-47.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$10.48 NOK 99.2

-57.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$15.43 NOK 146

-63.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$37.07 NOK 351

-77.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$4.03 NOK 38.13

-41.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$2.78 NOK 26.36

-60.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$3.48 NOK 32.96

-56.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$4.60 NOK 43.62

-70.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.97 NOK 18.62

-41.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$2.05 NOK 19.39

-42.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$2.63 NOK 24.93

-68.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$1.76 NOK 16.66

-51.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$14.68 NOK 139

-84.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$15.93 NOK 151

-27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$3.53 NOK 33.46

-66.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$4.53 NOK 42.88

-45.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$5.96 NOK 56.4

-86.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$80.9 NOK 766

-49.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$12.74 NOK 121

-88.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$1.38 NOK 13.05

39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$51.7 NOK 489

-84.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$2.11 NOK 19.98

-52.13%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$33.2K NOK 314.9K

-46.89%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$29.8K NOK 282.2K

-11.20%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$160 NOK 1,519

-49.42%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$33.10 NOK 314

-71.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$76.8 NOK 728

-68.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$48.85 NOK 463

-46.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$35.27 NOK 334

-46.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$16.38 NOK 155

-75.03%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$334 NOK 3,160

-5.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$5,051 NOK 47.8K

19.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$75.2 NOK 712

-20.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$33.37 NOK 316

-4.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$116 NOK 1,099

-12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$133 NOK 1,259

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$1,322 NOK 12.5K

-63.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$998 NOK 9,455

-63.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$2,177 NOK 20.6K

-62.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

-49.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$5,877 NOK 55.7K

-49.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$4,180 NOK 39.6K

-68.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$3,523 NOK 33.4K

-84.37%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Harstad: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $1,322 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 540% 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 $122 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $477 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 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Harstad earns 540% less. 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: $485 in Medellin versus $1,322 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 151% 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 $122 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,467 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.