Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarpsborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarpsborg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $2,802 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $4,162 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $5,521 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

Medellin is about 40% cheaper than Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Sarpsborg sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Sarpsborg by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$40.12 NOK 378

-80.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$107 NOK 1,010

-55.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$19.57 NOK 184

-49.46%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$5.76 NOK 54.2

-45.66%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$2.90 NOK 27.36

-34.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$2.65 NOK 25.01

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$8.82 NOK 83.1

-64.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$11.73 NOK 111

-50.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$2.36 NOK 22.23

-38.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$3.30 NOK 31.09

-24.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$3.76 NOK 35.40

-52.93%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$5.08 NOK 47.89

-41.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$12.87 NOK 121

-21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$15.59 NOK 147

-35.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$29.86 NOK 281

-52.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.49 NOK 32.89

18.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.78 NOK 26.15

-42.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$3.60 NOK 33.89

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$4.52 NOK 42.57

-50.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.60 NOK 24.50

-21.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.98 NOK 28.07

-48.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$3.11 NOK 29.29

-62.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$2.33 NOK 21.96

-43.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$19.68 NOK 185

-80.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$17.86 NOK 168

-21.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$3.61 NOK 34.02

-51.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$4.32 NOK 40.73

-33.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$2.70 NOK 25.45

-54.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$77.7 NOK 732

3.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$10.98 NOK 103

-88.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.95 NOK 18.38

12.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$73.9 NOK 696

-88.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$2.18 NOK 20.52

-37.16%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$45.0K NOK 423.5K

-38.08%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$40.2K NOK 378.4K

-10.95%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$273 NOK 2,570

-35.01%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$30.00 NOK 283

-53.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$59.3 NOK 559

-49.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$51.4 NOK 484

-12.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$32.10 NOK 302

-46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$16.91 NOK 159

-60.67%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$253 NOK 2,383

221.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

-30.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$97.1 NOK 914

-7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$52.2 NOK 492

12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$113 NOK 1,065

22.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$182 NOK 1,711

-43.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

-15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,038 NOK 9,782

-36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

-26.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

-33.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

-59.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

-75.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.18

111.20%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,257 in Sarpsborg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 301% higher in Sarpsborg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $107 in Sarpsborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $486 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarpsborg is pricier by about 67%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $4,204 in Sarpsborg. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $107 in Sarpsborg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $2,802 in Sarpsborg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Sarpsborg at $2,802. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarpsborg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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