Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Hamar Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Hamar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,777 in Arendal versus $2,460 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,905 in Arendal versus $3,874 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,034 in Arendal versus $5,289 in Hamar.

Living in Arendal is roughly 13% more expensive than in Hamar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 102% above, Hamar 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 NOK 189

$21.66 NOK 202

-6.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 NOK 629

$131 NOK 1,220

-48.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.90 NOK 148

$16.08 NOK 150

-1.12%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 51.7

$6.19 NOK 57.7

-10.34%

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

$3.60 NOK 33.54

$4.19 NOK 39.08

-14.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.80

$3.42 NOK 31.87

-0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.90 NOK 111

$11.63 NOK 108

2.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.15 NOK 113

$8.60 NOK 80.1

41.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.33

$2.66 NOK 24.83

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.58

$3.16 NOK 29.44

13.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 36.78

$2.10 NOK 19.56

88.10%

Eggs

$5.04 NOK 46.95

$6.24 NOK 58.2

-19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 NOK 139

$10.98 NOK 102

35.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.26 NOK 142

$12.83 NOK 120

18.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.60 NOK 322

$30.56 NOK 285

13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.60

$3.46 NOK 32.21

4.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.36

$2.68 NOK 24.98

5.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.90

$3.07 NOK 28.59

18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 46.14

$6.14 NOK 57.2

-19.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.26

$2.52 NOK 23.44

3.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.32

$2.50 NOK 23.27

26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.93

$2.17 NOK 20.20

28.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 21.85

$2.06 NOK 19.20

14.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.77 NOK 166

$19.48 NOK 182

-8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 NOK 138

$16.75 NOK 156

-11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.86

$3.60 NOK 33.50

6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.27

$4.27 NOK 39.75

3.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 NOK 35.49

$4.73 NOK 44.09

-19.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 NOK 847

$68.7 NOK 640

32.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 NOK 59.6

$12.05 NOK 112

-46.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NOK 16.35

$1.86 NOK 17.32

-5.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$104 NOK 972

$70.2 NOK 654

48.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.69

$2.36 NOK 21.97

-1.27%

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

$48.4K NOK 450.8K

$50.2K NOK 467.3K

-3.53%

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

$42.5K NOK 395.8K

$45.8K NOK 426.6K

-7.21%

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

$251 NOK 2,337

$227 NOK 2,112

10.66%

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

$35.15 NOK 327

$32.97 NOK 307

6.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$56.9 NOK 530

41.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NOK 352

$59.4 NOK 554

-36.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.45 NOK 274

Cinema Ticket

$15.95 NOK 149

$19.36 NOK 180

-17.61%

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

$324 NOK 3,021

$215 NOK 2,003

50.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 134.4K

$16.1K NOK 149.8K

-10.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 NOK 1,210

$103 NOK 960

26.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 NOK 416

$62.1 NOK 578

-28.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 NOK 1,206

$136 NOK 1,264

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 NOK 1,912

$105 NOK 983

94.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 10.6K

$1,235 NOK 11.5K

-7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 NOK 10.0K

$889 NOK 8,282

20.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 NOK 15.1K

$1,579 NOK 14.7K

2.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$1,507 NOK 14.0K

-1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,382 NOK 40.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,516 NOK 32.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,115 NOK 38.3K

$4,323 NOK 40.3K

-4.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.96

-5.65%

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

Last update for Arendal: August 31, 2026

Last update for Hamar: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Arendal and $1,235 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Arendal vs $131 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $506 vs $463, with Hamar cheaper for home cooking.

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

Arendal vs Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Hamar differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,777 vs $2,460 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Hamar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,141 in Arendal versus $1,235 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Arendal versus $215 in Hamar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,460 in Hamar versus $2,777 in Arendal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arendal and Hamar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.