Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,547 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $4,020 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $5,492 in Lillestrom.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 59% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Lillestrom is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$20.59 NOK 192

-71.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$102 NOK 949

-67.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$10.95 NOK 102

-34.25%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$5.07 NOK 47.26

-66.47%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$2.55 NOK 23.77

-56.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$2.12 NOK 19.73

-66.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$8.91 NOK 83.0

-81.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$10.11 NOK 94.2

-69.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$2.11 NOK 19.63

-49.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$3.32 NOK 30.92

-62.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$3.30 NOK 30.77

-57.88%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$4.22 NOK 39.32

-46.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$11.35 NOK 106

-61.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$13.81 NOK 129

-57.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$24.70 NOK 230

-64.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.11 NOK 29.00

-27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.35 NOK 21.93

-54.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$3.36 NOK 31.30

-54.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$4.18 NOK 39.00

-67.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.20 NOK 20.46

-48.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.22 NOK 20.66

-49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.97 NOK 18.39

-56.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.89 NOK 17.57

-51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$14.45 NOK 135

-83.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$17.20 NOK 160

-35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$3.21 NOK 29.92

-62.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$4.02 NOK 37.47

-41.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$4.35 NOK 40.58

-81.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$73.2 NOK 682

-43.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$5.14 NOK 47.93

-71.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.40 NOK 13.05

36.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$61.9 NOK 577

-87.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$2.17 NOK 20.22

-56.68%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$35.4K NOK 329.9K

-49.37%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$29.8K NOK 277.5K

-10.03%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$61.6 NOK 574

36.30%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$43.51 NOK 405

-77.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$37.76 NOK 352

-36.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$70.8 NOK 659

-63.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$18.06 NOK 168

5.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$14.69 NOK 137

-73.32%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$240 NOK 2,234

27.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,135 NOK 38.5K

43.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$95.3 NOK 888

-39.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$46.68 NOK 435

-31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$100 NOK 934

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$176 NOK 1,638

-39.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$1,196 NOK 11.1K

-59.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$1,230 NOK 11.5K

-70.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$2,544 NOK 23.7K

-67.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

-67.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$5,986 NOK 55.8K

-51.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$4,645 NOK 43.3K

-69.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$3,898 NOK 36.3K

-86.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.38

206.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $1,196 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 615% 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 $102 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $426 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 Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 146% lower than in Lillestrom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lillestrom earns 615% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $1,196 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $240 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,547 in Lillestrom, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Lillestrom 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 146% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.