Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Medellin

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in Sandnes
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Sandnes Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sandnes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,732

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sandnes and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sandnes and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Sandnes $2,732
Medellin $1,639

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

Sandnes $4,220
Medellin $2,413

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

Sandnes $5,708
Medellin $3,186

Sandnes costs about 67% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.34 NOK 224

$8.09 COP 26.1K

200.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.8 NOK 898

$47.05 COP 151.7K

107.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 142

$9.50 COP 30.6K

62.53%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 51.5

$3.01 COP 9,722

86.05%

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

$3.46 NOK 31.78

$1.80 COP 5,801

92.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 27.51

$1.41 COP 4,554

112.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.86 NOK 127

$3.18 COP 10.2K

335.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 97.4

$5.75 COP 18.5K

84.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 22.95

$1.51 COP 4,869

65.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 NOK 31.39

$2.38 COP 7,667

43.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.49

$1.77 COP 5,712

44.63%

Eggs

$4.85 NOK 44.53

$2.89 COP 9,320

67.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 NOK 125

$10.19 COP 32.9K

33.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.05 NOK 147

$9.87 COP 31.8K

62.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.19 NOK 305

$13.99 COP 45.1K

137.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.51

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-10.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 26.57

$1.55 COP 5,005

86.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 28.93

$2.18 COP 7,039

44.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 NOK 45.85

$2.18 COP 7,041

128.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 24.24

$1.96 COP 6,328

34.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 21.86

$1.59 COP 5,125

49.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 26.53

$1.15 COP 3,694

151.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.29

$1.24 COP 4,009

95.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.80 NOK 154

$3.96 COP 12.8K

324.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.87 NOK 155

$13.68 COP 44.1K

23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.24

$1.66 COP 5,352

98.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 40.67

$2.26 COP 7,281

96.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.88 NOK 44.85

$1.17 COP 3,766

317.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NOK 786

$77.4 COP 249.5K

10.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 NOK 59.1

$1.27 COP 4,089

406.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.49

$2.05 COP 6,603

-12.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 NOK 460

$8.55 COP 27.6K

485.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.29

$1.35 COP 4,343

71.85%

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

$45.2K NOK 415.5K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

32.77%

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

$38.8K NOK 356.3K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

11.87%

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

$266 NOK 2,447

$170 COP 547.0K

57.03%

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

$34.32 NOK 315

$13.55 COP 43.7K

153.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 NOK 743

$28.07 COP 90.5K

187.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.63 NOK 428

$43.70 COP 140.9K

6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.4 NOK 500

$17.19 COP 55.4K

216.29%

Cinema Ticket

$19.49 NOK 179

$6.91 COP 22.3K

182.05%

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

$297 NOK 2,726

$797 COP 2.6M

-62.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,467 NOK 87.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

3.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 NOK 1,172

$84.7 COP 273.2K

50.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 555

$58.0 COP 186.9K

4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,121

$135 COP 435.2K

-9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 NOK 1,783

$97.9 COP 315.6K

98.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 NOK 12.6K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 NOK 9,177

$642 COP 2.1M

55.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 NOK 19.1K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 NOK 16.8K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

81.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,988 NOK 64.2K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

67.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,176 NOK 38.4K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

118.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,789 NOK 34.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

476.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

10.94

-52.29%

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

Last update for Sandnes: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandnes

$999 36.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 35.8% $357

Groceries & Markets

Sandnes

$494 18.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 39.9% $197

Eating Out

Sandnes

$425 15.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 60.1% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandnes

$382 14%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 44.6% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Sandnes

$227 8.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 25.5% $58

Getting Around

Sandnes

$120 4.4%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 22.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Sandnes

$86 3.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 32.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,375 in Sandnes versus $1,208 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 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 $98 in Sandnes versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Sandnes

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

6 h behind Sandnes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,958

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

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).

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).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sandnes Medellin 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Sandnes
Medellin

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

Sandnes vs Medellin: 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 $4,098 per month in Sandnes and $2,459 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,375 in Sandnes.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Sandnes and $47 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 $2,732 in Sandnes and $1,639 in Medellin. 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.