Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,546 per month in Sandnes vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,939 per month in Sandnes vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,332 per month in Sandnes vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Sandnes costs about 154% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sandnes sits 91% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.71 NOK 272

$5.91 COP 18.6K

385.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,145

$32.96 COP 103.8K

266.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 NOK 127

$7.43 COP 23.4K

79.54%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.45

$1.65 COP 5,207

209.70%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.72

$1.10 COP 3,468

213.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 NOK 26.59

$0.78 COP 2,458

258.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.94 NOK 94.2

$1.72 COP 5,412

477.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.28 NOK 97.5

$3.18 COP 10.0K

223.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$1.10 COP 3,474

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.33

$1.26 COP 3,962

161.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NOK 29.92

$1.38 COP 4,349

128.99%

Eggs

$4.30 NOK 40.75

$2.18 COP 6,858

97.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 NOK 122

$4.49 COP 14.1K

185.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 NOK 135

$5.79 COP 18.2K

145.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.40 NOK 345

$8.97 COP 28.2K

305.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.28

$2.32 COP 7,308

55.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.86

$1.06 COP 3,352

137.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$1.52 COP 4,774

102.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.09

$1.36 COP 4,270

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NOK 20.63

$1.13 COP 3,552

92.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.39

$1.17 COP 3,689

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 26.06

$0.90 COP 2,838

205.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.62

$0.90 COP 2,823

106.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.29 NOK 145

$2.23 COP 7,034

585.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 NOK 159

$12.12 COP 38.2K

38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NOK 30.42

$1.19 COP 3,743

169.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.83

$2.48 COP 7,815

60.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.24 NOK 40.23

$0.85 COP 2,687

398.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 NOK 660

$41.62 COP 131.0K

67.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 144

$1.42 COP 4,459

972.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.69

$1.95 COP 6,141

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.78 NOK 444

$7.89 COP 24.8K

492.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.10

$0.99 COP 3,118

114.14%

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

$34.0K NOK 322.6K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

93.26%

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

$32.2K NOK 305.4K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

20.18%

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

$220 NOK 2,084

$83.0 COP 261.4K

164.70%

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

$43.97 NOK 417

$9.70 COP 30.5K

353.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 NOK 748

$23.52 COP 74.1K

235.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.31 NOK 468

$25.26 COP 79.5K

95.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 NOK 484

$19.10 COP 60.1K

167.17%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 170

$3.95 COP 12.4K

353.42%

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

$323 NOK 3,060

$316 COP 994.2K

2.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,185 NOK 87.1K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

53.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 NOK 1,118

$60.0 COP 188.9K

96.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 NOK 570

$31.82 COP 100.2K

88.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,011

$102 COP 320.1K

4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,532

$107 COP 338.3K

50.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 NOK 11.8K

$475 COP 1.5M

161.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 NOK 8,346

$374 COP 1.2M

135.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 NOK 15.7K

$849 COP 2.7M

95.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 13.9K

$719 COP 2.3M

103.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,921 NOK 65.6K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

111.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,018 NOK 38.1K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

178.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 NOK 33.7K

$624 COP 2.0M

468.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.4

13.43

-67.24%

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

Last update for Sandnes: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,241 in Sandnes versus $475 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 469% higher in Sandnes, 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 $121 in Sandnes versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $474 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

Sandnes vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sandnes is pricier by about 154%, 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 $3,820 per month in Sandnes and $1,504 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 $121 in Sandnes 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 $2,546 in Sandnes and $1,003 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 $1,003, than in Sandnes at $2,546. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sandnes 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, Sandnes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.