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: $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,367 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Arendal versus $3,740 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Arendal versus $5,114 in Hamar.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 5% less than in Hamar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 67% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 NOK 173

$25.42 NOK 245

-29.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 NOK 717

$122 NOK 1,177

-39.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 143

$15.05 NOK 145

-1.13%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.93

$5.03 NOK 48.46

0.99%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.96

$4.00 NOK 38.56

-19.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 29.57

$3.21 NOK 30.91

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.20 NOK 108

$12.07 NOK 116

-7.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 98.6

$7.79 NOK 75.0

31.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.44

$2.09 NOK 20.17

11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 29.51

$2.98 NOK 28.74

2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 34.05

$1.97 NOK 19.02

79.19%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 42.05

$5.19 NOK 49.95

-15.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 NOK 124

$10.65 NOK 103

20.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.79 NOK 152

$11.97 NOK 115

31.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.39 NOK 264

$31.54 NOK 304

-13.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 32.63

$3.54 NOK 34.06

-4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 25.24

$2.53 NOK 24.41

3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.68

$3.02 NOK 29.10

1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 44.26

$5.00 NOK 48.14

-8.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NOK 20.58

$2.48 NOK 23.93

-13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.80

$2.42 NOK 23.28

23.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NOK 24.65

$1.98 NOK 19.08

29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.96

$1.87 NOK 17.98

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 NOK 148

$17.37 NOK 167

-11.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 163

$18.33 NOK 177

-7.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 32.16

$3.36 NOK 32.41

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 38.44

$4.36 NOK 42.03

-8.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 36.93

$4.33 NOK 41.71

-11.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NOK 1,009

$64.6 NOK 623

62.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 NOK 76.5

$10.25 NOK 98.7

-22.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 NOK 20.18

$1.39 NOK 13.42

51.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.41 NOK 293

$42.23 NOK 407

-27.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.78

$2.18 NOK 20.96

-5.96%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

$36.8K NOK 354.5K

-6.18%

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

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

$42.5K NOK 409.8K

-23.83%

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

$193 NOK 1,861

$218 NOK 2,105

-11.55%

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

$35.70 NOK 344

$30.79 NOK 297

15.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 NOK 710

$55.7 NOK 536

32.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 NOK 429

$56.3 NOK 542

-20.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 507

$28.56 NOK 275

84.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 NOK 118

$18.24 NOK 176

-32.84%

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

$308 NOK 2,964

$205 NOK 1,977

49.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

$15.0K NOK 144.9K

-33.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 NOK 917

$102 NOK 984

-6.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 566

$60.5 NOK 582

-2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 1,002

$125 NOK 1,205

-16.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,559

$100 NOK 967

61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

$1,193 NOK 11.5K

-9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 NOK 6,913

$844 NOK 8,132

-14.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

$1,511 NOK 14.6K

-12.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

$1,432 NOK 13.8K

-20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

$4,159 NOK 40.1K

-26.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

$3,337 NOK 32.1K

-38.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

$4,134 NOK 39.8K

-2.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

5.08

-29.13%

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

Last update for Arendal: July 14, 2026

Last update for Hamar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Arendal and $1,193 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Arendal vs $122 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $456 vs $441, 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,237 vs $2,367 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% 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: $1,076 in Arendal versus $1,193 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $205 in Hamar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamar pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,367 in Hamar, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Hamar. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal 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 Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.