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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,203 per month in Oslo vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,686 per month in Oslo vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,170 per month in Oslo vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Oslo costs about 211% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Oslo sits 140% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$6.16 COP 20.1K

311.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,164

$32.60 COP 106.1K

269.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 145

$7.34 COP 23.9K

103.81%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 49.07

$1.72 COP 5,599

195.35%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.66

$1.05 COP 3,420

290.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.85

$0.77 COP 2,515

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 120

$1.69 COP 5,487

631.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 107

$3.17 COP 10.3K

247.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.24

$1.05 COP 3,423

128.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 39.00

$1.30 COP 4,236

210.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.50

$1.40 COP 4,544

162.14%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.82

$2.16 COP 7,046

129.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$4.39 COP 14.3K

211.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 159

$5.88 COP 19.1K

179.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$8.64 COP 28.1K

263.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.85

$2.28 COP 7,425

57.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.44

$1.11 COP 3,603

136.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.39

$1.53 COP 4,982

125.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.98

$1.35 COP 4,410

275.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.22

$1.13 COP 3,674

122.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.22

$1.13 COP 3,692

139.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.83

$0.85 COP 2,753

227.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.25

$0.91 COP 2,975

164.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 169

$2.34 COP 7,629

646.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$12.37 COP 40.3K

50.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 33.00

$1.20 COP 3,909

184.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 42.06

$2.49 COP 8,104

74.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.44

$0.84 COP 2,727

397.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 769

$40.57 COP 132.1K

96.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.6

$1.42 COP 4,623

618.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.60

$1.92 COP 6,235

-26.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 404

$7.66 COP 24.9K

445.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.96

$0.99 COP 3,223

129.29%

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

$36.7K NOK 354.3K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

103.28%

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

$42.3K NOK 409.3K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

59.01%

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

$296 NOK 2,863

$80.8 COP 263.1K

266.43%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$9.95 COP 32.4K

214.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 536

$24.18 COP 78.7K

129.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 554

$25.08 COP 81.6K

128.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 275

$19.15 COP 62.3K

48.30%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$3.98 COP 13.0K

352.51%

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

$274 NOK 2,653

$305 COP 993.4K

-10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.9K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

142.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 999

$58.1 COP 189.2K

77.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 623

$32.20 COP 104.8K

100.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,169

$101 COP 327.9K

20.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,620

$108 COP 350.8K

55.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$477 COP 1.6M

256.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$376 COP 1.2M

283.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.9K

$845 COP 2.7M

216.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.1K

$730 COP 2.4M

198.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.3K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

258.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.3K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

407.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.1K

$617 COP 2.0M

589.99%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,700 in Oslo versus $477 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 590% 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 $120 in Oslo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $505 vs $193 – 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 211%, 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 $4,804 per month in Oslo and $1,546 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 $120 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 $3,203 in Oslo and $1,031 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 $1,031, than in Oslo at $3,203. 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.