Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Jessheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Jessheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,769 in Jessheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arendal versus $4,027 in Jessheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Arendal versus $5,284 in Jessheim.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 20% less than in Jessheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 66% above, Jessheim 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.87 NOK 166

$25.66 NOK 238

-30.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 NOK 700

$79.9 NOK 742

-5.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.93 NOK 139

$15.05 NOK 140

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$4.71 NOK 43.73

9.77%

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

$3.18 NOK 29.50

$2.82 NOK 26.16

12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 NOK 28.47

$3.25 NOK 30.17

-5.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$10.08 NOK 93.6

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 NOK 94.5

$8.69 NOK 80.8

17.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.98

$2.04 NOK 18.93

16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 28.41

$4.03 NOK 37.46

-24.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.39

$2.15 NOK 19.98

66.98%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 40.26

$3.01 NOK 28.00

43.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 123

$13.46 NOK 125

-1.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 143

$13.77 NOK 128

11.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NOK 258

$26.94 NOK 250

3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 31.98

$2.32 NOK 21.54

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.40

$2.10 NOK 19.54

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 27.93

$2.75 NOK 25.53

9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 NOK 44.13

$3.73 NOK 34.66

27.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$1.90 NOK 17.69

11.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 NOK 27.17

$2.57 NOK 23.88

14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 NOK 23.45

$2.35 NOK 21.86

7.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 16.52

$0.62 NOK 5.78

187.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 139

$13.68 NOK 127

9.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.12 NOK 168

$18.21 NOK 169

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.92

$3.33 NOK 30.90

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.37

$4.36 NOK 40.50

-7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$4.55 NOK 42.29

-15.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 957

$89.2 NOK 829

15.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 NOK 73.2

$10.26 NOK 95.4

-23.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.02

$1.46 NOK 13.57

40.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.93 NOK 278

$42.24 NOK 392

-29.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.55

$2.09 NOK 19.37

0.48%

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

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

$35.9K NOK 333.7K

-3.86%

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

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

$34.9K NOK 324.4K

-6.28%

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

$187 NOK 1,734

$296 NOK 2,746

-36.86%

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

$35.07 NOK 326

$30.66 NOK 285

14.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 NOK 683

$55.5 NOK 515

32.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 NOK 409

$49.07 NOK 456

-10.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.8 NOK 499

$36.10 NOK 335

48.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NOK 111

$18.01 NOK 167

-33.48%

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

$302 NOK 2,801

$271 NOK 2,514

11.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$14.8K NOK 137.5K

-31.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 NOK 887

$104 NOK 965

-8.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 NOK 549

$65.7 NOK 610

-9.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$123 NOK 1,142

-14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,449

$164 NOK 1,523

-4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

$1,314 NOK 12.2K

-16.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 NOK 6,455

$1,134 NOK 10.5K

-38.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

$1,854 NOK 17.2K

-30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

-33.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

$8,453 NOK 78.5K

-62.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

$3,927 NOK 36.5K

8.52%

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 Jessheim: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,100 in Arendal and $1,314 in Jessheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Arendal vs $80.0 in Jessheim. Groceries flip the comparison at $459 vs $415, with Jessheim 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 Jessheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Jessheim differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,218 vs $2,769 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arendal pays 9% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,100 in Arendal versus $1,314 in Jessheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Arendal versus $271 in Jessheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Jessheim pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,769 in Jessheim, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Jessheim. 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 Jessheim 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 25% less than in Jessheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.