Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Narvik Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Narvik

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,226 in Narvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arendal versus $3,450 in Narvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Arendal versus $4,673 in Narvik.

Monthly costs are close between Arendal and Narvik; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.87 NOK 166

$20.40 NOK 190

-12.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 NOK 700

$89.6 NOK 832

-15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.93 NOK 139

$14.98 NOK 139

-0.33%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$5.54 NOK 51.4

-6.68%

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

$3.18 NOK 29.50

$2.57 NOK 23.90

23.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 NOK 28.47

$2.45 NOK 22.74

24.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$11.22 NOK 104

-0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 NOK 94.5

$10.92 NOK 101

-6.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.98

$2.45 NOK 22.73

-3.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 28.41

$3.22 NOK 29.96

-4.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.39

$2.60 NOK 24.15

38.08%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 40.26

$4.93 NOK 45.82

-12.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 123

$11.53 NOK 107

14.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 143

$15.06 NOK 140

2.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NOK 258

$21.67 NOK 201

28.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 31.98

$3.42 NOK 31.80

0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.40

$2.00 NOK 18.58

26.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 27.93

$3.76 NOK 34.90

-19.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 NOK 44.13

$4.24 NOK 39.42

12.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$2.55 NOK 23.72

-16.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 NOK 27.17

$3.48 NOK 32.37

-15.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 NOK 23.45

$2.75 NOK 25.50

-8.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 16.52

$1.72 NOK 15.97

3.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 139

$14.92 NOK 139

0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.12 NOK 168

$19.55 NOK 182

-7.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.92

$3.33 NOK 30.89

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.37

$3.56 NOK 33.05

12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$5.16 NOK 47.98

-25.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 957

$87.4 NOK 811

17.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 NOK 73.2

$12.89 NOK 120

-38.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.02

$1.39 NOK 12.93

47.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.93 NOK 278

$49.71 NOK 462

-39.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.55

$2.09 NOK 19.45

0.48%

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

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

$31.0K NOK 287.6K

11.52%

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

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

$29.8K NOK 277.3K

9.67%

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

$187 NOK 1,734

$249 NOK 2,317

-25.15%

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

$35.07 NOK 326

$47.81 NOK 444

-26.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 NOK 683

$77.9 NOK 724

-5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 NOK 409

$54.4 NOK 505

-19.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.8 NOK 499

$25.28 NOK 235

112.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NOK 111

$16.58 NOK 154

-27.74%

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

$302 NOK 2,801

$334 NOK 3,100

-9.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$7,283 NOK 67.7K

38.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 NOK 887

$90.5 NOK 841

5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 NOK 549

$32.66 NOK 303

81.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$131 NOK 1,220

-20.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,449

$134 NOK 1,244

16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

$924 NOK 8,586

19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 NOK 6,455

$708 NOK 6,579

-1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

$1,562 NOK 14.5K

-17.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

$1,204 NOK 11.2K

-4.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

$5,352 NOK 49.7K

-40.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

$4,825 NOK 44.8K

-55.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

$3,648 NOK 33.9K

16.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

4.27

-15.69%

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

Last update for Arendal: June 1, 2026

Last update for Narvik: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,100 in Arendal and $924 in Narvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75.0 in Arendal vs $90.0 in Narvik. Groceries flip the comparison at $459 vs $436, with Narvik 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 Narvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal pays 17% 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 $924 in Narvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Arendal versus $334 in Narvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arendal – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $90.0 in Narvik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,226 in Narvik, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Narvik. 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 Narvik are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Arendal wins on affordability, Narvik on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.