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: $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,250 in Narvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Arendal versus $3,403 in Narvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Arendal versus $4,557 in Narvik.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 1% less than in Narvik, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 67% above, Narvik 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 NOK 173

$20.23 NOK 195

-11.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 NOK 717

$92.0 NOK 887

-19.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 143

$15.08 NOK 145

-1.33%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.93

$5.56 NOK 53.5

-8.63%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.96

$2.57 NOK 24.80

24.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 29.57

$2.55 NOK 24.52

20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.20 NOK 108

$10.93 NOK 105

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 98.6

$11.22 NOK 108

-8.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.44

$2.41 NOK 23.24

-3.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 29.51

$3.26 NOK 31.41

-6.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 34.05

$2.46 NOK 23.67

43.50%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 42.05

$4.85 NOK 46.69

-9.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 NOK 124

$11.28 NOK 109

13.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.79 NOK 152

$15.01 NOK 145

5.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.39 NOK 264

$21.94 NOK 211

24.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 32.63

$3.33 NOK 32.03

1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 25.24

$1.99 NOK 19.15

31.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.68

$3.69 NOK 35.53

-16.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 44.26

$4.25 NOK 40.92

8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NOK 20.58

$2.45 NOK 23.59

-12.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.80

$3.64 NOK 35.06

-17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NOK 24.65

$2.68 NOK 25.78

-4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.96

$1.78 NOK 17.18

-1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 NOK 148

$15.01 NOK 145

2.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 163

$18.58 NOK 179

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 32.16

$3.41 NOK 32.88

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 38.44

$3.44 NOK 33.15

15.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 36.93

$5.17 NOK 49.81

-25.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NOK 1,009

$85.0 NOK 819

23.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 NOK 76.5

$12.82 NOK 124

-38.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 NOK 20.18

$1.39 NOK 13.42

51.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.41 NOK 293

$50.9 NOK 490

-40.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.78

$2.09 NOK 20.17

-1.91%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

$29.8K NOK 286.9K

15.95%

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

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

$30.2K NOK 290.4K

7.47%

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

$193 NOK 1,861

$247 NOK 2,376

-21.66%

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

$35.70 NOK 344

$47.69 NOK 459

-25.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 NOK 710

$77.5 NOK 746

-4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 NOK 429

$53.1 NOK 512

-16.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 507

$25.12 NOK 242

109.43%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 NOK 118

$16.76 NOK 161

-26.91%

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

$308 NOK 2,964

$338 NOK 3,259

-9.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

$7,299 NOK 70.3K

36.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 NOK 917

$88.0 NOK 848

8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 566

$33.12 NOK 319

77.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 1,002

$130 NOK 1,254

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,559

$137 NOK 1,318

18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

$930 NOK 8,956

15.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 NOK 6,913

$699 NOK 6,729

2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

$1,581 NOK 15.2K

-16.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

$1,186 NOK 11.4K

-3.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

$5,013 NOK 48.3K

-39.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

$4,616 NOK 44.5K

-55.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

$3,451 NOK 33.2K

17.33%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Narvik: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Arendal and $930 in Narvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 17% 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 $92.0 in Narvik. Groceries flip the comparison at $456 vs $433, 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,237 vs $2,250 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $930 in Narvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $338 in Narvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Narvik pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,250 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.

Expats usually find Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Narvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.