Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,141 per month in Oslo vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,597 per month in Oslo vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,053 per month in Oslo vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Oslo costs about 210% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Oslo sits 134% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 238

$5.99 COP 21.3K

326.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,144

$32.86 COP 116.9K

272.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$7.09 COP 25.2K

113.68%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.41

$1.71 COP 6,093

184.21%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.14

$1.10 COP 3,910

270.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.79

$0.78 COP 2,771

308.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$1.68 COP 5,976

615.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 105

$3.07 COP 10.9K

265.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.35

$1.09 COP 3,892

119.27%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.17

$1.26 COP 4,492

224.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.19

$1.38 COP 4,905

165.22%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.00

$2.19 COP 7,799

129.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 126

$4.40 COP 15.7K

205.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 150

$5.63 COP 20.0K

184.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 287

$8.89 COP 31.6K

246.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.63

$2.34 COP 8,319

49.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.53

$1.06 COP 3,764

148.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.32

$1.50 COP 5,355

123.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.20

$1.38 COP 4,906

273.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.69

$1.15 COP 4,097

111.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.33

$1.16 COP 4,141

133.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.61

$0.89 COP 3,170

220.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.84

$0.84 COP 2,986

178.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$2.28 COP 8,116

653.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 177

$10.64 COP 37.9K

77.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.28

$1.20 COP 4,268

179.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.87

$2.47 COP 8,793

77.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.20

$0.86 COP 3,045

401.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 727

$41.40 COP 147.3K

88.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.8

$1.47 COP 5,245

582.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.93

$1.96 COP 6,984

-29.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 394

$7.74 COP 27.5K

445.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.34

$0.95 COP 3,397

129.47%

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

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

101.16%

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

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

61.14%

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

$304 NOK 2,834

$82.3 COP 292.7K

269.13%

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

$31.63 NOK 295

$9.50 COP 33.8K

232.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 532

$24.23 COP 86.2K

135.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 539

$25.89 COP 92.1K

123.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 267

$19.00 COP 67.6K

50.74%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 168

$3.93 COP 14.0K

358.27%

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

$274 NOK 2,556

$309 COP 1.1M

-11.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

143.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 987

$58.7 COP 208.7K

80.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 611

$32.35 COP 115.1K

102.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,158

$103 COP 365.1K

20.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,572

$108 COP 385.8K

55.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

$476 COP 1.7M

251.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

$379 COP 1.3M

281.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

$838 COP 3.0M

228.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

199.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

330.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

502.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

$512 COP 1.8M

761.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

13.43

-62.17%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,671 in Oslo versus $476 in Medellin. 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 762% higher in Oslo, 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 $122 in Oslo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $500 vs $188 – 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

Oslo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oslo is pricier by about 210%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,711 per month in Oslo and $1,519 in Medellin. 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 $122 in Oslo and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,141 in Oslo and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Oslo at $3,141. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oslo 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, Oslo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.