Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,773 per month in Stavanger vs $1,028 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,172 per month in Stavanger vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,570 per month in Stavanger vs $2,144 in Medellin, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 170% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Stavanger sits 108% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 NOK 238

$6.00 COP 20.6K

319.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,137

$32.84 COP 112.5K

265.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 141

$7.42 COP 25.4K

100.54%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 49.33

$1.65 COP 5,659

215.76%

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

$3.91 NOK 37.04

$1.07 COP 3,663

265.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.75

$0.76 COP 2,607

340.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.96 NOK 104

$1.72 COP 5,908

537.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.32 NOK 97.8

$3.20 COP 11.0K

222.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.21

$1.05 COP 3,597

122.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 NOK 29.78

$1.31 COP 4,479

139.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 NOK 42.15

$1.34 COP 4,591

232.09%

Eggs

$4.47 NOK 42.30

$2.19 COP 7,521

104.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 NOK 123

$4.41 COP 15.1K

195.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.38 NOK 155

$5.69 COP 19.5K

187.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.93 NOK 265

$8.52 COP 29.2K

227.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.00

$2.34 COP 8,023

53.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 24.13

$1.11 COP 3,804

129.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.99

$1.52 COP 5,210

101.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 NOK 44.89

$1.37 COP 4,680

245.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NOK 20.36

$1.15 COP 3,950

86.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.57

$1.18 COP 4,043

146.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NOK 23.96

$0.84 COP 2,885

201.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.51

$0.86 COP 2,931

102.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 142

$2.26 COP 7,753

562.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.43 NOK 175

$11.60 COP 39.8K

58.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 34.32

$1.20 COP 4,109

201.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.23

$2.48 COP 8,484

66.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 NOK 42.11

$0.79 COP 2,721

463.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 NOK 645

$40.83 COP 139.9K

66.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$1.47 COP 5,023

941.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 NOK 20.21

$1.92 COP 6,568

10.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 951

$7.77 COP 26.6K

1191.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 21.07

$1.01 COP 3,464

119.80%

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

$34.2K NOK 324.3K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

93.91%

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

$33.3K NOK 315.6K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

25.94%

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

$191 NOK 1,812

$81.1 COP 277.9K

135.87%

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

$42.07 NOK 398

$9.43 COP 32.3K

346.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 NOK 772

$23.86 COP 81.8K

241.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 530

$25.99 COP 89.1K

115.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.10 NOK 332

$18.71 COP 64.1K

87.60%

Cinema Ticket

$18.95 NOK 180

$4.09 COP 14.0K

363.33%

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

$314 NOK 2,976

$315 COP 1.1M

-0.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 121.5K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

112.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,110

$59.7 COP 204.6K

96.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 NOK 569

$31.97 COP 109.6K

87.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 994

$101 COP 346.9K

3.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,480

$105 COP 360.3K

48.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NOK 15.1K

$485 COP 1.7M

227.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 NOK 10.9K

$365 COP 1.3M

214.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 NOK 26.3K

$827 COP 2.8M

235.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 NOK 16.8K

$730 COP 2.5M

142.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,070 NOK 57.5K

$2,992 COP 10.3M

102.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 NOK 49.0K

$1,314 COP 4.5M

293.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,897 NOK 46.4K

$551 COP 1.9M

789.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

13.43

-66.42%

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

Last update for Stavanger: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,591 in Stavanger versus $485 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 789% higher in Stavanger, 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 Stavanger versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $471 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

Stavanger vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stavanger is pricier by about 170%, 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 $4,160 per month in Stavanger and $1,542 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 Stavanger 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 $2,773 in Stavanger and $1,028 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 $1,028, than in Stavanger at $2,773. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger 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, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.