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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,663 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $4,157 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $5,651 in Lillestrom.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 37% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Lillestrom 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$21.44 NOK 202

-62.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$122 NOK 1,151

-60.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$11.74 NOK 111

-15.76%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$6.34 NOK 59.7

-50.63%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$4.21 NOK 39.62

-54.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$3.26 NOK 30.74

-53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$12.57 NOK 118

-75.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$10.88 NOK 103

-47.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$2.41 NOK 22.67

-40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$3.78 NOK 35.62

-34.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$4.28 NOK 40.28

-58.64%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$5.97 NOK 56.3

-50.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$13.60 NOK 128

-25.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$14.03 NOK 132

-27.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$28.41 NOK 268

-49.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.56 NOK 33.57

16.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.92 NOK 27.53

-44.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$4.41 NOK 41.57

-48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$5.36 NOK 50.5

-58.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.97 NOK 27.93

-31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$3.78 NOK 35.57

-59.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.86 NOK 17.56

-37.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$2.43 NOK 22.90

-46.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$18.18 NOK 171

-78.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$16.86 NOK 159

-16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$5.80 NOK 54.6

-70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$5.88 NOK 55.4

-51.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$4.60 NOK 43.35

-73.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$87.5 NOK 824

-8.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$11.87 NOK 112

-88.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.83 NOK 17.23

19.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$81.9 NOK 771

-89.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$2.32 NOK 21.84

-40.95%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

-43.30%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$49.2K NOK 463.1K

-27.23%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$258 NOK 2,432

-31.31%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$36.16 NOK 341

-61.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$64.6 NOK 608

-53.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$51.2 NOK 482

-12.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$36.85 NOK 347

-53.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$18.04 NOK 170

-63.14%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$250 NOK 2,359

224.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$13.3K NOK 125.7K

-31.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$102 NOK 960

-12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$56.8 NOK 535

3.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$127 NOK 1,198

8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$159 NOK 1,495

-35.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,306 NOK 12.3K

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,027 NOK 9,670

-35.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$2,049 NOK 19.3K

-7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

-39.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$6,240 NOK 58.8K

-32.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$4,378 NOK 41.2K

-61.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$3,815 NOK 35.9K

-82.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.98

119.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 463% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $122 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $506 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 58% 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 463% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $250 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,663 in Lillestrom, a $2,500 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 $1,681 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 58% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.