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: $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,394 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arendal versus $3,748 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Arendal versus $5,101 in Hamar.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 7% less than in Hamar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 66% above, Hamar 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.87 NOK 166

$25.68 NOK 239

-30.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 NOK 700

$122 NOK 1,137

-38.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.93 NOK 139

$14.88 NOK 138

0.34%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$5.05 NOK 46.92

2.38%

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

$3.18 NOK 29.50

$4.20 NOK 39.02

-24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 NOK 28.47

$3.31 NOK 30.73

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$12.12 NOK 113

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 NOK 94.5

$7.77 NOK 72.2

30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.98

$2.14 NOK 19.89

10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 28.41

$2.93 NOK 27.25

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.39

$1.97 NOK 18.32

82.23%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 40.26

$5.01 NOK 46.57

-13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 123

$10.65 NOK 99.0

24.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 143

$11.98 NOK 111

28.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NOK 258

$31.80 NOK 295

-12.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 31.98

$3.55 NOK 33.02

-3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.40

$2.64 NOK 24.52

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 27.93

$2.90 NOK 26.90

3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 NOK 44.13

$4.91 NOK 45.59

-3.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$2.45 NOK 22.73

-13.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 NOK 27.17

$2.50 NOK 23.25

17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 NOK 23.45

$2.07 NOK 19.25

21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 16.52

$1.87 NOK 17.33

-4.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 139

$17.15 NOK 159

-12.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.12 NOK 168

$19.58 NOK 182

-7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.92

$3.36 NOK 31.20

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.37

$4.35 NOK 40.44

-7.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$4.40 NOK 40.84

-12.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 957

$63.7 NOK 592

61.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 NOK 73.2

$10.25 NOK 95.2

-23.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.02

$1.39 NOK 12.96

47.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.93 NOK 278

$42.57 NOK 395

-29.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.55

$2.19 NOK 20.35

-4.11%

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

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

$36.8K NOK 341.5K

-6.07%

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

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

$43.1K NOK 400.4K

-24.05%

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

$187 NOK 1,734

$221 NOK 2,056

-15.64%

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

$35.07 NOK 326

$31.40 NOK 292

11.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 NOK 683

$55.5 NOK 516

32.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 NOK 409

$56.6 NOK 526

-22.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.8 NOK 499

$27.82 NOK 258

93.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NOK 111

$18.24 NOK 169

-34.32%

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

$302 NOK 2,801

$205 NOK 1,909

46.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$15.0K NOK 139.5K

-32.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 NOK 887

$106 NOK 982

-9.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 NOK 549

$61.6 NOK 573

-4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$124 NOK 1,149

-15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,449

$103 NOK 959

51.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

$1,170 NOK 10.9K

-5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 NOK 6,455

$826 NOK 7,678

-15.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

$1,527 NOK 14.2K

-15.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

$1,451 NOK 13.5K

-21.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

$4,390 NOK 40.8K

-27.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

$3,502 NOK 32.5K

-38.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

$4,428 NOK 41.1K

-3.74%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hamar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,100 in Arendal and $1,170 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 4% 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: $75.0 in Arendal vs $122 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $459 vs $443, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,218 vs $2,394 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamar earns 4% less. 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: $1,100 in Arendal versus $1,170 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 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 $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,394 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 8% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.