Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tromso

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,272 in Tromso, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Tromso
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Tromso Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tromso

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,272

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tromso

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,272 in Tromso, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tromso $3,272

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,928 in Tromso, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tromso $4,928

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $6,584 in Tromso, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tromso $6,584

Medellin is about 50% cheaper than Tromso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Tromso sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Tromso by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$34.84 NOK 321

-76.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$107 NOK 983

-55.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$16.13 NOK 149

-41.10%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$6.87 NOK 63.3

-56.19%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$5.02 NOK 46.26

-64.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$3.80 NOK 34.99

-62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$12.79 NOK 118

-75.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$13.94 NOK 128

-58.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.61 NOK 24.05

-42.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.47 NOK 32.02

-31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.95 NOK 36.44

-55.19%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$5.42 NOK 49.91

-46.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.93 NOK 110

-14.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$15.18 NOK 140

-34.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$42.51 NOK 392

-67.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.23 NOK 38.94

-6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$3.03 NOK 27.94

-48.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$5.42 NOK 49.97

-59.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$6.08 NOK 56.1

-64.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$3.53 NOK 32.53

-44.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$4.89 NOK 45.07

-67.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.97 NOK 27.39

-61.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$2.14 NOK 19.69

-42.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$16.48 NOK 152

-75.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$17.78 NOK 164

-23.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$4.04 NOK 37.26

-58.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$4.95 NOK 45.61

-54.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$5.07 NOK 46.74

-76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$67.8 NOK 625

14.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$16.35 NOK 151

-92.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.16 NOK 19.92

-5.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$57.4 NOK 529

-85.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$2.38 NOK 21.91

-43.28%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$50.0K NOK 460.9K

-31.88%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$44.5K NOK 409.7K

-22.00%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$266 NOK 2,448

-36.11%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$50.7 NOK 468

-73.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$85.0 NOK 783

-66.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$48.89 NOK 451

-10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$48.46 NOK 447

-64.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$17.45 NOK 161

-60.40%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$324 NOK 2,989

145.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,850 NOK 72.4K

16.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$68.8 NOK 634

23.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$35.13 NOK 324

64.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$153 NOK 1,412

-11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$166 NOK 1,527

-40.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,780 NOK 16.4K

-32.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,392 NOK 12.8K

-53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,215 NOK 29.6K

-36.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,341 NOK 21.6K

-56.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$8,342 NOK 76.9K

-50.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$5,634 NOK 51.9K

-66.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,302 NOK 39.7K

-84.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.01

118.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tromso: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tromso

$1.4K 42.6% 117% $751

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tromso

$553 16.9% 86% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tromso

$401 12.3% 89.9% $190

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tromso

$537 16.4% 216% $367

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tromso

$190 5.8% 12.6% $21

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tromso

$115 3.5% 23.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tromso

$84 2.6% 45.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,780 in Tromso. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tromso are about 6.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $107 in Tromso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $553 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇴 Tromso

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

78,908

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tromso 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tromso

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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tromso is pricier by about 100%, 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 $4,908 in Tromso. 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 $1,780 in Tromso.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $107 in Tromso. 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 $3,272 in Tromso. That makes Medellin about 50% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Tromso at $3,272. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tromso it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $3,272 in Tromso. 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, Tromso makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.