Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,929 per month in Tromso vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,342 per month in Tromso vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,756 per month in Tromso vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Tromso costs about 189% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Tromso sits 119% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.45 NOK 301

$5.99 COP 21.4K

441.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,124

$32.86 COP 117.4K

268.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 140

$7.09 COP 25.3K

112.69%

Cappuccino

$6.17 NOK 57.4

$1.71 COP 6,115

260.82%

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

$4.58 NOK 42.52

$1.10 COP 3,924

316.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 31.97

$0.78 COP 2,781

341.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.21 NOK 104

$1.68 COP 5,997

567.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.08 NOK 103

$3.07 COP 11.0K

260.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 NOK 22.45

$1.09 COP 3,906

122.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NOK 29.42

$1.26 COP 4,508

151.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.46

$1.38 COP 4,922

137.68%

Eggs

$4.92 NOK 45.72

$2.19 COP 7,827

124.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 NOK 105

$4.40 COP 15.7K

157.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.48 NOK 144

$5.63 COP 20.1K

174.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.09 NOK 345

$8.89 COP 31.8K

317.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.42

$2.34 COP 8,349

67.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.78

$1.06 COP 3,777

171.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.82

$1.50 COP 5,374

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 NOK 47.54

$1.38 COP 4,924

271.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 28.65

$1.15 COP 4,111

167.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.72

$1.16 COP 4,155

212.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 NOK 24.98

$0.89 COP 3,182

202.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NOK 15.80

$0.84 COP 2,997

102.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 NOK 140

$2.28 COP 8,145

560.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.06 NOK 177

$10.64 COP 38.0K

79.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 33.78

$1.20 COP 4,284

203.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 NOK 42.14

$2.47 COP 8,824

83.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.79 NOK 44.49

$0.86 COP 3,056

456.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 NOK 553

$41.40 COP 147.9K

43.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.88 NOK 120

$1.47 COP 5,264

776.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 NOK 10.46

$1.96 COP 7,009

-42.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.1 NOK 484

$7.74 COP 27.6K

573.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.63

$0.95 COP 3,409

122.11%

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

$32.6K NOK 302.8K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

79.75%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

35.02%

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

$245 NOK 2,279

$82.3 COP 293.7K

198.27%

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

$48.71 NOK 453

$9.50 COP 33.9K

412.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 NOK 717

$24.23 COP 86.5K

218.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.87 NOK 445

$25.89 COP 92.4K

84.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 367

$19.00 COP 67.9K

108.11%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 NOK 155

$3.93 COP 14.0K

325.70%

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

$336 NOK 3,118

$309 COP 1.1M

8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,362 NOK 68.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

23.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 NOK 815

$58.7 COP 209.5K

49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.00 NOK 307

$32.35 COP 115.5K

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 NOK 1,215

$103 COP 366.4K

27.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,258

$108 COP 387.2K

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 NOK 12.5K

$476 COP 1.7M

183.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 11.8K

$379 COP 1.4M

234.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 NOK 24.3K

$838 COP 3.0M

211.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 NOK 17.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

155.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,264 NOK 86.1K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

232.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,545 NOK 51.5K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

357.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,243 NOK 39.4K

$512 COP 1.8M

729.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

13.43

-68.21%

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

Last update for Tromso: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,348 in Tromso versus $476 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 729% higher in Tromso, 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 Tromso versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $502 vs $188 – 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

Tromso vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tromso is pricier by about 189%, 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 $4,393 per month in Tromso and $1,519 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 Tromso 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 $2,929 in Tromso and $1,013 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 $1,013, than in Tromso at $2,929. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tromso 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, Tromso makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.