Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sandnes

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,732 in Sandnes, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Sandnes
Learn more

Sandnes Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sandnes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sandnes

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,732 in Sandnes, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sandnes $2,732

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,220 in Sandnes, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sandnes $4,220

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,708 in Sandnes, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sandnes $5,708

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$24.34 NOK 224

-66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$97.8 NOK 898

-51.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$15.44 NOK 142

-38.47%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$5.60 NOK 51.5

-46.25%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$3.46 NOK 31.78

-47.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$2.99 NOK 27.51

-52.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$13.86 NOK 127

-77.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$10.60 NOK 97.4

-45.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$2.50 NOK 22.95

-39.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.42 NOK 31.39

-30.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.56 NOK 23.49

-30.86%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$4.85 NOK 44.53

-40.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.56 NOK 125

-24.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$16.05 NOK 147

-38.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$33.19 NOK 305

-57.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.54 NOK 32.51

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.89 NOK 26.57

-46.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$3.15 NOK 28.93

-30.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$4.99 NOK 45.85

-56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.64 NOK 24.24

-25.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.38 NOK 21.86

-33.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$2.89 NOK 26.53

-60.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$2.43 NOK 22.29

-48.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$16.80 NOK 154

-76.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$16.87 NOK 155

-18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$3.29 NOK 30.24

-49.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$4.43 NOK 40.67

-48.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$4.88 NOK 44.85

-76.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$85.5 NOK 786

-9.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$6.43 NOK 59.1

-80.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.80 NOK 16.49

13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$50.1 NOK 460

-82.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$2.32 NOK 21.29

-41.81%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$45.2K NOK 415.5K

-24.68%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$38.8K NOK 356.3K

-10.61%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$266 NOK 2,447

-36.32%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$34.32 NOK 315

-60.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$80.8 NOK 743

-65.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$46.63 NOK 428

-6.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$54.4 NOK 500

-68.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$19.49 NOK 179

-64.55%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$297 NOK 2,726

168.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,467 NOK 87.0K

-3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$128 NOK 1,172

-33.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$60.4 NOK 555

-4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$122 NOK 1,121

10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$194 NOK 1,783

-49.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,375 NOK 12.6K

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$999 NOK 9,177

-35.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,076 NOK 19.1K

-2.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,834 NOK 16.8K

-44.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$6,988 NOK 64.2K

-40.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$4,176 NOK 38.4K

-54.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,789 NOK 34.8K

-82.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.22

109.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sandnes

$999 36.6% 55.7% $357

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sandnes

$494 18.1% 66.4% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sandnes

$382 14% 80.6% $170

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sandnes

$425 15.5% 150% $255

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sandnes

$227 8.3% 34.2% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sandnes

$120 4.4% 28.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sandnes

$86 3.1% 48.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,375 in Sandnes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sandnes are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $98 in Sandnes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $494 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇴 Sandnes

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

00:54 12:54 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

83,958

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Sandnes 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sandnes

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 Sandnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sandnes is pricier by about 67%, 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 $4,098 in Sandnes. 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 $1,375 in Sandnes.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $98 in Sandnes. 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 $2,732 in Sandnes. That makes Medellin about 40% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Sandnes at $2,732. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sandnes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,732 in Sandnes. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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