Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Hamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamar: $2,380 a month against $2,679 in Arendal, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Arendal
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Arendal Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Hamar
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Hamar Living Index

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Arendal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,679

/mo nomad

Hamar

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arendal and in Hamar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arendal and in Hamar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,679 in Arendal versus $2,380 in Hamar.

Arendal $2,679
Hamar $2,380

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,805 in Arendal versus $3,750 in Hamar.

Arendal $3,805
Hamar $3,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,931 in Arendal versus $5,120 in Hamar.

Arendal $4,931
Hamar $5,120

Living in Arendal is roughly 13% more expensive than in Hamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 98% above, Hamar 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.51 NOK 184

$21.18 NOK 199

-7.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 NOK 619

$125 NOK 1,180

-47.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.52 NOK 146

$15.83 NOK 149

-1.96%

Cappuccino

$5.33 NOK 50.2

$5.76 NOK 54.2

-7.47%

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

$3.49 NOK 32.84

$4.21 NOK 39.63

-17.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.62

$3.28 NOK 30.85

-0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.55 NOK 109

$11.49 NOK 108

0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.08 NOK 114

$8.07 NOK 76.0

49.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.78

$2.50 NOK 23.53

-7.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 NOK 32.63

$2.93 NOK 27.57

18.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.56

$2.06 NOK 19.36

83.50%

Eggs

$4.93 NOK 46.38

$5.76 NOK 54.3

-14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 NOK 139

$11.05 NOK 104

34.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.35 NOK 135

$12.20 NOK 115

17.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.30 NOK 314

$31.42 NOK 296

5.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.83

$3.21 NOK 30.26

8.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.75

$2.57 NOK 24.17

2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.74

$3.05 NOK 28.74

14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 NOK 44.63

$5.89 NOK 55.5

-19.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.97

$2.48 NOK 23.34

2.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.18

$2.44 NOK 22.95

27.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 26.55

$2.12 NOK 19.97

33.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 NOK 21.13

$1.99 NOK 18.74

12.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.67 NOK 166

$18.94 NOK 178

-6.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 NOK 136

$16.40 NOK 154

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 NOK 35.19

$3.38 NOK 31.78

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 41.27

$4.18 NOK 39.37

4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 NOK 34.72

$4.66 NOK 43.87

-20.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 849

$67.5 NOK 635

33.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 NOK 57.5

$11.92 NOK 112

-48.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NOK 16.03

$1.78 NOK 16.76

-4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 986

$69.5 NOK 654

50.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.31

$2.37 NOK 22.32

-4.64%

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

$48.3K NOK 454.3K

$47.8K NOK 449.5K

1.06%

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

$41.0K NOK 385.9K

$43.6K NOK 410.2K

-5.93%

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

$252 NOK 2,372

$223 NOK 2,104

12.76%

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

$34.68 NOK 326

$33.07 NOK 311

4.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 NOK 751

$54.1 NOK 509

47.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.61 NOK 345

$58.2 NOK 548

-37.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 NOK 277

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 NOK 145

$19.79 NOK 186

-22.28%

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

$314 NOK 2,952

$207 NOK 1,948

51.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K NOK 129.9K

$15.8K NOK 148.3K

-12.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 NOK 1,176

$102 NOK 959

22.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.59 NOK 410

$59.5 NOK 560

-26.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,165

$131 NOK 1,230

-5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 NOK 1,922

$104 NOK 977

96.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 NOK 10.4K

$1,227 NOK 11.6K

-9.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 NOK 9,783

$847 NOK 7,973

22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 NOK 14.6K

$1,578 NOK 14.9K

-1.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 NOK 13.7K

$1,489 NOK 14.0K

-2.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 NOK 38.7K

$4,302 NOK 40.5K

-4.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,134 NOK 29.5K

$3,421 NOK 32.2K

-8.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,151 NOK 39.1K

$4,269 NOK 40.2K

-2.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.94

-5.26%

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

Last update for Arendal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hamar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arendal

$1K 38.8%

Hamar

$847 35.6% 18.5% $192

Groceries & Markets

Arendal

$488 18.2%

Hamar

$450 18.9% 7.8% $38

Eating Out

Arendal

$375 14%

Hamar

$390 16.4% 3.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arendal

$366 13.7%

Hamar

$311 13.1% 15.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Arendal

$223 8.3%

Hamar

$178 7.5% 20.3% $45

Getting Around

Arendal

$120 4.5%

Hamar

$107 4.5% 10.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Arendal

$67 2.5%

Hamar

$98 4.1% 45.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in Arendal and $1,227 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Arendal vs $125 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $450, with Hamar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Arendal

🇳🇴 Hamar

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Arendal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,406

33,059

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Arendal Hamar 310 km

From you

Arendal
Hamar

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 ($2,679 vs $2,380 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $1,109 in Arendal versus $1,227 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Arendal versus $207 in Hamar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,380 in Hamar versus $2,679 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.