Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Oslo

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,538 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
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Oslo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Oslo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,538 in Oslo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Oslo $3,538

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,096 in Oslo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Oslo $5,096

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $6,653 in Oslo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Oslo $6,653

Medellin is about 54% cheaper than Oslo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Oslo sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Oslo by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$21.75 NOK 200

-62.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$130 NOK 1,193

-63.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$16.04 NOK 147

-40.77%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$5.84 NOK 53.7

-48.46%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$4.38 NOK 40.21

-58.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$3.35 NOK 30.75

-57.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$11.65 NOK 107

-72.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$12.81 NOK 118

-55.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$2.61 NOK 24.00

-42.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$4.38 NOK 40.27

-45.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$4.70 NOK 43.19

-62.34%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$6.25 NOK 57.4

-53.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$15.48 NOK 142

-34.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$15.84 NOK 146

-37.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$32.30 NOK 297

-56.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.36 NOK 30.83

18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.72 NOK 25.03

-43.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$3.65 NOK 33.54

-40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$5.96 NOK 54.8

-63.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.69 NOK 24.75

-27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.85 NOK 26.18

-44.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$3.26 NOK 29.96

-64.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$2.50 NOK 22.96

-50.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$19.21 NOK 176

-79.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$16.64 NOK 153

-17.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$3.60 NOK 33.08

-53.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$4.23 NOK 38.82

-46.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$5.02 NOK 46.13

-76.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$83.5 NOK 767

-7.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$12.39 NOK 114

-89.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.84 NOK 16.93

11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$70.8 NOK 651

-87.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.48 NOK 22.79

-45.56%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$49.9K NOK 458.4K

-31.73%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$44.7K NOK 410.5K

-22.41%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$433 NOK 3,983

-60.86%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$34.50 NOK 317

-60.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$55.7 NOK 512

-49.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$58.1 NOK 534

-24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$29.79 NOK 274

-42.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$20.78 NOK 191

-66.75%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$240 NOK 2,201

232.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$16.2K NOK 148.5K

-43.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$104 NOK 958

-18.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$61.8 NOK 567

-6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$135 NOK 1,239

0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$160 NOK 1,470

-38.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$2,133 NOK 19.6K

-43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,645 NOK 15.1K

-61.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,270 NOK 30.0K

-37.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,466 NOK 22.7K

-58.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$12.4K NOK 113.6K

-66.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$7,462 NOK 68.6K

-74.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,703 NOK 43.2K

-86.03%

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 Oslo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Oslo

$1.6K 46.5% 156% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Oslo

$530 15% 78.6% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Oslo

$524 14.8% 148% $312

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Oslo

$407 11.5% 140% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Oslo

$207 5.9% 22.8% $38

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Oslo

$125 3.5% 33.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Oslo

$100 2.8% 73.2% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,133 in Oslo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Oslo are about 7.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $130 in Oslo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $530 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇴 Oslo

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

14:13 2:13 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,098,061 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Oslo 9,200 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Oslo

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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oslo is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $5,307 in Oslo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $2,133 in Oslo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $130 in Oslo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $3,538 in Oslo. That makes Medellin about 54% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Oslo at $3,538. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oslo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $3,538 in Oslo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oslo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.