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: $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,686 in Jessheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Arendal versus $3,940 in Jessheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Arendal versus $5,193 in Jessheim.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 17% less than in Jessheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 67% above, Jessheim 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 NOK 173

$25.16 NOK 242

-28.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 NOK 717

$81.3 NOK 783

-8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 143

$14.98 NOK 144

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.93

$4.61 NOK 44.39

10.20%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.96

$2.94 NOK 28.29

9.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 29.57

$3.27 NOK 31.52

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.20 NOK 108

$10.28 NOK 99.0

8.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 98.6

$8.68 NOK 83.6

17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.44

$2.05 NOK 19.74

13.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 29.51

$4.10 NOK 39.50

-25.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 34.05

$2.16 NOK 20.81

63.43%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 42.05

$2.97 NOK 28.57

47.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 NOK 124

$13.66 NOK 132

-6.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.79 NOK 152

$13.41 NOK 129

17.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.39 NOK 264

$26.96 NOK 260

1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 32.63

$2.33 NOK 22.49

45.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 25.24

$2.09 NOK 20.15

25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.68

$2.80 NOK 26.99

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 44.26

$3.61 NOK 34.82

27.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NOK 20.58

$1.91 NOK 18.37

12.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.80

$2.60 NOK 25.04

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NOK 24.65

$2.42 NOK 23.31

5.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.96

$0.59 NOK 5.72

198.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 NOK 148

$13.69 NOK 132

11.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 163

$17.46 NOK 168

-2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 32.16

$3.42 NOK 32.96

-2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 38.44

$4.18 NOK 40.22

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 36.93

$4.39 NOK 42.24

-12.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NOK 1,009

$88.3 NOK 850

18.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 NOK 76.5

$10.11 NOK 97.3

-21.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 NOK 20.18

$1.44 NOK 13.89

45.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.41 NOK 293

$42.68 NOK 411

-28.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.78

$2.17 NOK 20.88

-5.53%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

$36.2K NOK 348.5K

-4.55%

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

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

$35.0K NOK 337.6K

-7.54%

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

$193 NOK 1,861

$301 NOK 2,902

-35.87%

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

$35.70 NOK 344

$31.43 NOK 303

13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 NOK 710

$56.8 NOK 547

29.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 NOK 429

$49.36 NOK 475

-9.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 507

$35.11 NOK 338

49.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 NOK 118

$17.98 NOK 173

-31.87%

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

$308 NOK 2,964

$265 NOK 2,552

16.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

$15.0K NOK 144.7K

-33.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 NOK 917

$103 NOK 994

-7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 566

$66.7 NOK 642

-11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 1,002

$122 NOK 1,172

-14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,559

$163 NOK 1,573

-0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

$1,324 NOK 12.8K

-18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 NOK 6,913

$1,117 NOK 10.8K

-35.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

$1,849 NOK 17.8K

-28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

$1,714 NOK 16.5K

-33.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

$7,851 NOK 75.6K

-61.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

$3,741 NOK 36.0K

8.25%

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 Jessheim: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Arendal and $1,324 in Jessheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Arendal vs $81.0 in Jessheim. Groceries flip the comparison at $456 vs $413, 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 20% in total monthly costs ($2,237 vs $2,686 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Arendal, 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: $1,076 in Arendal versus $1,324 in Jessheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $265 in Jessheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Jessheim pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,686 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 20% less than in Jessheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.