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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,481 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $3,944 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $5,407 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 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$20.53 NOK 200

-70.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$103 NOK 1,003

-68.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$10.83 NOK 105

-31.49%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$4.79 NOK 46.64

-65.55%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$2.45 NOK 23.88

-56.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$2.15 NOK 20.96

-64.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$9.18 NOK 89.4

-81.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$9.95 NOK 97.0

-67.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$2.13 NOK 20.71

-50.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$3.43 NOK 33.40

-61.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$3.16 NOK 30.74

-57.59%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$4.16 NOK 40.56

-47.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$11.53 NOK 112

-61.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$13.69 NOK 133

-58.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$25.02 NOK 244

-65.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$3.08 NOK 30.04

-24.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$2.34 NOK 22.83

-52.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$3.27 NOK 31.80

-53.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$3.99 NOK 38.83

-65.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$2.25 NOK 21.95

-48.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$2.15 NOK 20.98

-45.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$2.07 NOK 20.15

-59.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$1.91 NOK 18.56

-54.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$14.14 NOK 138

-84.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$16.95 NOK 165

-31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$3.14 NOK 30.62

-61.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$3.95 NOK 38.51

-37.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$4.29 NOK 41.83

-81.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$72.1 NOK 702

-43.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$5.19 NOK 50.5

-71.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$1.39 NOK 13.56

38.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$60.3 NOK 587

-87.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$2.08 NOK 20.30

-51.44%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$35.2K NOK 342.6K

-49.79%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$30.8K NOK 299.9K

-14.09%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$59.5 NOK 580

36.21%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$42.80 NOK 417

-77.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$37.55 NOK 366

-36.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$70.1 NOK 682

-62.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$17.58 NOK 171

6.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$14.50 NOK 141

-71.79%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$235 NOK 2,292

33.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$4,147 NOK 40.4K

45.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$96.6 NOK 940

-38.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$46.78 NOK 456

-31.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$99.9 NOK 973

1.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$180 NOK 1,754

-41.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$1,239 NOK 12.1K

-60.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$1,208 NOK 11.8K

-69.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$2,471 NOK 24.1K

-66.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$2,242 NOK 21.8K

-67.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$6,150 NOK 59.9K

-51.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$4,832 NOK 47.1K

-72.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$3,695 NOK 36.0K

-85.09%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $1,239 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 571% 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 $103 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $425 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 141% 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, salaries run 571% lower in Lillestrom. 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 $1,239 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $235 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 $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,481 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 $1,028 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 141% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.