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: $2,777 in Arendal versus $2,553 in Narvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,905 in Arendal versus $3,895 in Narvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,034 in Arendal versus $5,236 in Narvik.

Living in Arendal is roughly 9% more expensive than in Narvik, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 102% above, Narvik 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 NOK 189

$31.56 NOK 294

-35.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 NOK 629

$96.3 NOK 897

-29.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.90 NOK 148

$16.13 NOK 150

-1.43%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 51.7

$4.92 NOK 45.87

12.80%

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

$3.60 NOK 33.54

$2.90 NOK 27.03

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.80

$3.00 NOK 28.00

13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.90 NOK 111

$11.87 NOK 111

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.15 NOK 113

$12.11 NOK 113

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.33

$2.60 NOK 24.24

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.58

$3.42 NOK 31.83

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 36.78

$2.74 NOK 25.48

44.16%

Eggs

$5.04 NOK 46.95

$5.45 NOK 50.8

-7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 NOK 139

$12.34 NOK 115

20.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.26 NOK 142

$14.75 NOK 137

3.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.60 NOK 322

$23.21 NOK 216

49.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.60

$3.94 NOK 36.70

-8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.36

$2.17 NOK 20.19

30.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.90

$5.01 NOK 46.66

-27.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 46.14

$4.51 NOK 42.04

9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.26

$2.56 NOK 23.81

1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.32

$4.78 NOK 44.51

-34.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.93

$3.11 NOK 28.96

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 21.85

$2.13 NOK 19.88

10.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.77 NOK 166

$16.80 NOK 157

5.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 NOK 138

$16.13 NOK 150

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.86

$3.54 NOK 32.96

8.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.27

$3.73 NOK 34.79

18.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 NOK 35.49

$4.83 NOK 44.97

-21.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 NOK 847

$92.0 NOK 857

-1.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 NOK 59.6

$16.12 NOK 150

-60.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NOK 16.35

$2.19 NOK 20.37

-20.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$104 NOK 972

$54.4 NOK 507

91.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.69

$2.21 NOK 20.59

5.43%

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

$48.4K NOK 450.8K

$40.2K NOK 374.6K

20.35%

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

$42.5K NOK 395.8K

$38.9K NOK 362.6K

9.16%

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

$251 NOK 2,337

$269 NOK 2,506

-6.72%

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

$35.15 NOK 327

$51.8 NOK 482

-32.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$85.8 NOK 799

-6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NOK 352

$57.2 NOK 533

-33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.49 NOK 247

Cinema Ticket

$15.95 NOK 149

$17.69 NOK 165

-9.84%

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

$324 NOK 3,021

$320 NOK 2,984

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 134.4K

$7,601 NOK 70.8K

89.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 NOK 1,210

$131 NOK 1,220

-0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 NOK 416

$35.26 NOK 329

26.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 NOK 1,206

$140 NOK 1,304

-7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 NOK 1,912

$166 NOK 1,543

23.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 10.6K

$954 NOK 8,891

19.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 NOK 10.0K

$745 NOK 6,944

44.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 NOK 15.1K

$1,654 NOK 15.4K

-1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$1,246 NOK 11.6K

19.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,249 NOK 48.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,909 NOK 45.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,115 NOK 38.3K

$3,631 NOK 33.8K

13.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.01

-6.59%

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

Last update for Arendal: August 31, 2026

Last update for Narvik: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Arendal and $954 in Narvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 13% 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: $67.0 in Arendal vs $96.0 in Narvik. Groceries flip the comparison at $506 vs $461, 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 and Narvik differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,777 vs $2,553 including rent). Narvik is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,141 in Arendal versus $954 in Narvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Arendal versus $320 in Narvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,553 in Narvik versus $2,777 in Arendal, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Narvik but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Narvik 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.

Expats usually find Narvik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.