Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,496 per month in Sarpsborg vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,763 per month in Sarpsborg vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,030 per month in Sarpsborg vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Sarpsborg costs about 142% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sarpsborg sits 86% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.11 NOK 354

$5.92 COP 21.2K

543.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 NOK 885

$33.17 COP 118.7K

186.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 NOK 170

$7.25 COP 25.9K

152.00%

Cappuccino

$5.25 NOK 48.85

$1.71 COP 6,137

207.02%

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

$2.74 NOK 25.44

$1.09 COP 3,915

151.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.79

$0.77 COP 2,743

232.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NOK 58.1

$1.75 COP 6,254

256.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 NOK 73.4

$3.18 COP 11.4K

148.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$1.06 COP 3,792

109.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 30.50

$1.30 COP 4,657

152.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.86

$1.38 COP 4,926

140.58%

Eggs

$4.43 NOK 41.21

$2.21 COP 7,908

100.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 NOK 113

$4.52 COP 16.2K

168.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 139

$5.80 COP 20.7K

156.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.08 NOK 261

$8.97 COP 32.1K

213.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$2.29 COP 8,182

51.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.07

$1.06 COP 3,791

133.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.71

$1.51 COP 5,411

125.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.76

$1.36 COP 4,869

222.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.76

$1.16 COP 4,146

111.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.62

$1.17 COP 4,174

117.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$0.83 COP 2,960

231.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 17.86

$0.85 COP 3,043

125.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 139

$2.35 COP 8,423

534.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.21 NOK 179

$11.09 COP 39.7K

73.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.03

$1.15 COP 4,133

190.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 37.91

$2.47 COP 8,853

65.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 NOK 23.17

$0.79 COP 2,827

215.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NOK 691

$41.85 COP 149.8K

77.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NOK 94.8

$1.44 COP 5,140

607.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.92

$1.90 COP 6,793

-26.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.55 NOK 442

$7.70 COP 27.6K

517.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 18.89

$1.03 COP 3,680

97.09%

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

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

98.23%

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

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

41.26%

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

$240 NOK 2,232

$81.4 COP 291.4K

194.83%

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

$37.83 NOK 352

$9.42 COP 33.7K

301.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$23.77 COP 85.1K

135.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 461

$25.86 COP 92.6K

91.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 NOK 335

$19.34 COP 69.2K

86.50%

Cinema Ticket

$16.71 NOK 155

$4.05 COP 14.5K

312.59%

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

$279 NOK 2,593

$312 COP 1.1M

-10.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

65.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 NOK 898

$58.9 COP 210.7K

64.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 NOK 477

$32.82 COP 117.5K

56.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,003

$100 COP 359.6K

7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,437

$106 COP 380.3K

45.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

$490 COP 1.8M

149.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 NOK 8,404

$371 COP 1.3M

143.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$838 COP 3.0M

80.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

$715 COP 2.6M

87.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

134.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

221.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

13.43

-67.39%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: April 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Sarpsborg versus $490 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Sarpsborg versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $190 – 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

Sarpsborg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarpsborg is pricier by about 142%, 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 $3,744 per month in Sarpsborg and $1,544 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 $95.0 in Sarpsborg 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 $2,496 in Sarpsborg and $1,030 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 $1,030, than in Sarpsborg at $2,496. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarpsborg 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, Sarpsborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.