Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kongsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,733 in Kongsberg, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Kongsberg, Norway
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Kongsberg
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,733
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kongsberg

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,733 in Kongsberg, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Kongsberg $2,733

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,003 in Kongsberg, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Kongsberg $4,003

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,273 in Kongsberg, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Kongsberg $5,273

Medellin is about 40% cheaper than Kongsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Kongsberg sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Kongsberg by 101%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$21.54 NOK 200
-62.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$74.6 NOK 691
-36.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$16.41 NOK 152
-42.11%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$5.31 NOK 49.18
-43.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$4.51 NOK 41.78
-60.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$3.35 NOK 31.09
-57.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$12.01 NOK 111
-73.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$10.81 NOK 100
-46.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$2.60 NOK 24.09
-41.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$3.19 NOK 29.58
-25.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$4.75 NOK 44.05
-62.74%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$5.14 NOK 47.68
-43.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$10.90 NOK 101
-6.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$12.75 NOK 118
-22.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$18.75 NOK 174
-25.39%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.21 NOK 29.73
23.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$2.77 NOK 25.64
-44.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$3.47 NOK 32.17
-37.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$5.07 NOK 47.02
-57.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$2.63 NOK 24.38
-25.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$2.64 NOK 24.42
-39.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$3.18 NOK 29.49
-63.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$2.53 NOK 23.48
-50.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$17.99 NOK 167
-77.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$16.42 NOK 152
-16.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$3.64 NOK 33.76
-54.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$3.91 NOK 36.20
-42.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$3.17 NOK 29.37
-63.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$95.9 NOK 889
-19.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$12.11 NOK 112
-89.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$1.83 NOK 17.00
12.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$32.51 NOK 301
-73.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$2.39 NOK 22.17
-43.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$49.5K NOK 458.4K
-31.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$45.5K NOK 421.5K
-23.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$318 NOK 2,950
-46.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$28.53 NOK 264
-52.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$54.4 NOK 505
-48.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$48.00 NOK 445
-8.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$58.5 NOK 543
-70.63%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$20.59 NOK 191
-66.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$245 NOK 2,269
225.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$3,922 NOK 36.3K
132.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$94.0 NOK 872
-9.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$55.1 NOK 511
5.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$134 NOK 1,244
0.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$159 NOK 1,473
-38.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$1,075 NOK 9,965
12.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$1,078 NOK 9,994
-40.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,973 NOK 18.3K
2.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,749 NOK 16.2K
-42.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$6,377 NOK 59.1K
-34.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$4,352 NOK 40.3K
-56.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kongsberg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$3,667 NOK 34.0K
-82.08%
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 25, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Kongsberg
$1.1K 68.1% $437
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Kongsberg
$437 47.2% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Kongsberg
$401 89.9% $190
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Kongsberg
$398 135% $229
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Kongsberg
$199 17.8% $30
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Kongsberg
$130 38.8% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Kongsberg
$89 55% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,075 in Kongsberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kongsberg are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $75 in Kongsberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $437 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇳🇴 Kongsberg
🕒 Local time
09:30 9:30 AM
15:30 3:30 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
28,878
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.27 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kongsberg 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kongsberg

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 Kongsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Kongsberg?
Yes – Kongsberg is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,100 in Kongsberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kongsberg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,075 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Kongsberg?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,733 in Kongsberg. That makes Medellin about 40% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Kongsberg?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Kongsberg at $2,733. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kongsberg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Kongsberg?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,733 in Kongsberg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kongsberg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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