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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,695 per month in Stavanger vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,140 per month in Stavanger vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,584 per month in Stavanger vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 161% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Stavanger sits 101% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 235

$5.92 COP 21.5K

326.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,113

$32.75 COP 119.1K

264.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 NOK 143

$7.20 COP 26.2K

112.78%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.09

$1.70 COP 6,186

197.06%

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

$4.01 NOK 37.36

$1.10 COP 3,996

264.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$0.72 COP 2,625

380.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$1.67 COP 6,067

568.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 NOK 92.7

$3.10 COP 11.3K

220.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$1.06 COP 3,837

131.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 NOK 28.90

$1.25 COP 4,531

148.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.97

$1.39 COP 5,060

231.65%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 40.44

$2.26 COP 8,229

92.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 NOK 120

$4.33 COP 15.8K

198.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 NOK 152

$5.84 COP 21.2K

178.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 258

$8.83 COP 32.1K

213.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.76

$2.24 COP 8,159

52.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.42

$1.08 COP 3,911

142.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 28.07

$1.53 COP 5,563

96.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 42.42

$1.37 COP 4,987

232.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.28

$1.13 COP 4,109

83.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.85

$1.12 COP 4,067

166.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.00

$0.85 COP 3,080

190.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.14

$0.91 COP 3,305

102.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 141

$2.33 COP 8,477

547.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$11.13 COP 40.5K

72.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.07

$1.19 COP 4,342

198.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$2.37 COP 8,617

69.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.78

$0.79 COP 2,859

467.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 NOK 623

$41.13 COP 149.6K

62.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$1.44 COP 5,223

941.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NOK 19.44

$1.91 COP 6,952

9.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 951

$8.02 COP 29.2K

1172.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.66

$0.94 COP 3,410

124.47%

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

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

88.86%

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

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

23.25%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$84.0 COP 305.4K

127.69%

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

$43.15 NOK 402

$9.60 COP 34.9K

349.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$24.16 COP 87.9K

233.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 522

$25.88 COP 94.1K

116.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 328

$19.04 COP 69.3K

84.66%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$3.92 COP 14.2K

392.60%

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

$322 NOK 2,998

$306 COP 1.1M

4.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

123.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,087

$57.9 COP 210.6K

101.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 NOK 547

$31.82 COP 115.7K

84.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 994

$99.9 COP 363.3K

6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,484

$107 COP 389.7K

48.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

$487 COP 1.8M

224.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

$368 COP 1.3M

204.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

237.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

$716 COP 2.6M

148.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

103.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

281.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

$546 COP 2.0M

819.15%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,580 in Stavanger versus $487 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 819% 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 $119 in Stavanger versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 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 161%, 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 $4,042 per month in Stavanger and $1,550 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 $119 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 $2,695 in Stavanger and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in Stavanger at $2,695. 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.