Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Arendal versus $3,203 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Arendal versus $4,686 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Arendal versus $6,170 in Oslo.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 30% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 67% above, Oslo 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 NOK 173

$25.37 NOK 244

-29.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 NOK 717

$120 NOK 1,160

-38.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 143

$14.96 NOK 144

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.93

$5.08 NOK 48.89

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

$3.21 NOK 30.96

$4.10 NOK 39.51

-21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 29.57

$3.19 NOK 30.74

-3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.20 NOK 108

$12.37 NOK 119

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 98.6

$11.03 NOK 106

-7.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.44

$2.40 NOK 23.15

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 29.51

$4.03 NOK 38.86

-24.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 34.05

$3.67 NOK 35.37

-3.81%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 42.05

$4.95 NOK 47.65

-11.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 NOK 124

$13.66 NOK 132

-6.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.79 NOK 152

$16.41 NOK 158

-3.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.39 NOK 264

$31.39 NOK 302

-12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 32.63

$3.60 NOK 34.72

-5.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 25.24

$2.63 NOK 25.35

-0.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.68

$3.45 NOK 33.27

-10.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 44.26

$5.07 NOK 48.80

-9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NOK 20.58

$2.51 NOK 24.14

-14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.80

$2.71 NOK 26.12

10.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NOK 24.65

$2.78 NOK 26.73

-7.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.96

$2.41 NOK 23.17

-26.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 NOK 148

$17.46 NOK 168

-12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 163

$18.64 NOK 180

-8.96%

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

$4.35 NOK 41.91

-8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 36.93

$4.18 NOK 40.29

-8.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NOK 1,009

$79.6 NOK 766

31.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 NOK 76.5

$10.20 NOK 98.2

-22.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 NOK 20.18

$1.41 NOK 13.56

48.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.41 NOK 293

$41.75 NOK 402

-27.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.78

$2.27 NOK 21.88

-9.69%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

$36.7K NOK 353.0K

-5.78%

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

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

$42.3K NOK 407.8K

-23.47%

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

$193 NOK 1,861

$296 NOK 2,852

-34.74%

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

$35.70 NOK 344

$31.29 NOK 301

14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 NOK 710

$55.5 NOK 534

32.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 NOK 429

$57.4 NOK 552

-22.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 507

$28.40 NOK 274

85.25%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 NOK 118

$18.01 NOK 173

-31.98%

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

$308 NOK 2,964

$274 NOK 2,644

12.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

$14.7K NOK 141.4K

-32.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 NOK 917

$103 NOK 995

-7.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 566

$64.5 NOK 621

-8.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 1,002

$121 NOK 1,164

-13.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,559

$168 NOK 1,614

-3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

-36.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 NOK 6,913

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

-50.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

$2,677 NOK 25.8K

-50.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

$2,180 NOK 21.0K

-47.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

$11.5K NOK 110.9K

-73.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

$6,961 NOK 67.1K

-70.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

$4,256 NOK 41.0K

-4.85%

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 Oslo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Arendal and $1,700 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 5% 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: $74.0 in Arendal vs $120 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $505 per month, with Arendal cheaper across the board.

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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Oslo differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,237 vs $3,203 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Oslo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,076 in Arendal versus $1,700 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $274 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $3,203 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Oslo. 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 Oslo 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 43% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.