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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,190 per month in Tromso vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,751 per month in Tromso vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,312 per month in Tromso vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Tromso costs about 90% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tromso and Medellin sit above the global median – Tromso by 133%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.61 NOK 326

$8.02 COP 25.0K

331.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 1,004

$47.87 COP 149.4K

122.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.18 NOK 152

$9.89 COP 30.8K

63.60%

Cappuccino

$6.72 NOK 63.3

$3.13 COP 9,767

114.70%

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

$4.91 NOK 46.26

$1.91 COP 5,954

157.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 36.30

$1.51 COP 4,712

154.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.64 NOK 119

$3.12 COP 9,747

305.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.72 NOK 129

$5.75 COP 17.9K

138.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 NOK 24.40

$1.44 COP 4,509

79.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 NOK 32.71

$2.49 COP 7,759

39.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 38.61

$1.77 COP 5,535

131.64%

Eggs

$5.39 NOK 50.8

$2.96 COP 9,235

82.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 NOK 116

$10.07 COP 31.4K

22.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.79 NOK 139

$10.12 COP 31.6K

46.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.82 NOK 394

$14.30 COP 44.6K

192.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 NOK 38.80

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-0.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.54

$1.61 COP 5,019

95.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.34 NOK 50.4

$2.25 COP 7,007

137.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 NOK 57.3

$2.25 COP 7,028

170.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.71

$2.04 COP 6,375

75.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.81 NOK 45.31

$1.54 COP 4,790

212.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 NOK 29.12

$1.17 COP 3,651

164.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 NOK 20.04

$1.31 COP 4,077

62.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.76 NOK 158

$3.90 COP 12.2K

329.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 NOK 154

$14.01 COP 43.7K

16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 38.93

$1.74 COP 5,439

137.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 NOK 47.22

$2.87 COP 8,956

74.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.04 NOK 47.46

$1.22 COP 3,792

313.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 NOK 640

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-15.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 NOK 149

$1.31 COP 4,084

1103.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.76

$2.19 COP 6,825

0.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.4 NOK 531

$8.71 COP 27.2K

547.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.55

$1.37 COP 4,260

67.15%

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

$49.4K NOK 465.8K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

77.58%

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

$45.8K NOK 431.4K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

27.97%

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

$262 NOK 2,466

$177 COP 553.2K

47.63%

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

$50.6 NOK 477

$13.88 COP 43.3K

264.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.3 NOK 823

$29.72 COP 92.8K

193.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 NOK 486

$44.88 COP 140.1K

15.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.57 NOK 458

$17.12 COP 53.4K

183.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.50 NOK 165

$6.65 COP 20.7K

163.16%

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

$325 NOK 3,058

$813 COP 2.5M

-60.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,802 NOK 73.5K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-15.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 NOK 647

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-23.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.25 NOK 342

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-38.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 NOK 1,388

$138 COP 431.2K

6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,582

$102 COP 318.7K

64.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 NOK 14.6K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

46.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 11.9K

$663 COP 2.1M

91.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 NOK 25.2K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

41.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.8K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

94.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,061 NOK 66.5K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

68.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,436 NOK 51.2K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

224.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,201 NOK 39.6K

$678 COP 2.1M

519.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

10.94

-54.20%

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

Last update for Tromso: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,552 in Tromso versus $1,062 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 520% 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 $107 in Tromso versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $548 vs $305 – 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 90%, 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 $4,785 per month in Tromso and $2,521 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 $107 in Tromso and $48.00 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 $3,190 in Tromso and $1,681 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Tromso at $3,190. 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.