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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $2,485 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $3,699 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $4,912 in Harstad.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 59% 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

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$13.48 NOK 125

-56.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$123 NOK 1,145

-73.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$15.11 NOK 140

-52.02%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$5.99 NOK 55.7

-71.45%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$3.44 NOK 31.99

-68.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$3.07 NOK 28.55

-74.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$11.11 NOK 103

-84.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$11.20 NOK 104

-71.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$2.33 NOK 21.67

-54.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$3.16 NOK 29.38

-58.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$3.10 NOK 28.84

-55.48%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$4.28 NOK 39.79

-48.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$10.56 NOK 98.2

-57.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$15.15 NOK 141

-61.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$38.04 NOK 354

-76.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$3.88 NOK 36.12

-40.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$2.77 NOK 25.80

-61.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$3.52 NOK 32.72

-57.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$4.64 NOK 43.16

-70.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.99 NOK 18.54

-41.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$2.05 NOK 19.10

-42.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$2.68 NOK 24.91

-69.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$1.76 NOK 16.40

-51.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$15.25 NOK 142

-84.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$16.36 NOK 152

-32.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$3.62 NOK 33.66

-68.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$4.53 NOK 42.14

-45.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$6.03 NOK 56.1

-86.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$79.3 NOK 737

-47.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$12.82 NOK 119

-88.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.44 NOK 13.41

31.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$50.5 NOK 470

-84.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$2.13 NOK 19.78

-51.64%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

-47.27%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

-11.00%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$159 NOK 1,480

-48.85%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$33.50 NOK 312

-71.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$76.7 NOK 714

-69.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$48.47 NOK 451

-46.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$35.46 NOK 330

-45.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$16.65 NOK 155

-75.68%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$336 NOK 3,125

-7.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

20.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$77.2 NOK 718

-23.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$32.68 NOK 304

0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$117 NOK 1,089

-14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$135 NOK 1,260

-21.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

-63.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$1,021 NOK 9,498

-63.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

-61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

-50.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

-50.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

-69.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

-85.07%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Harstad: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $1,331 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 570% 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 in Medellin vs $123 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $481 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 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Harstad earns 570% 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: $490 in Medellin versus $1,331 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% 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 $123 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $2,485 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 141% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.