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: $2,218 in Arendal versus $3,141 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arendal versus $4,597 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Arendal versus $6,053 in Oslo.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 29% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 66% above, Oslo 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.87 NOK 166

$25.53 NOK 237

-30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 NOK 700

$123 NOK 1,138

-38.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.93 NOK 139

$15.15 NOK 141

-1.45%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$4.86 NOK 45.18

6.38%

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

$3.18 NOK 29.50

$4.08 NOK 37.95

-22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 NOK 28.47

$3.19 NOK 29.65

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$12.02 NOK 112

-7.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 NOK 94.5

$11.22 NOK 104

-9.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.98

$2.39 NOK 22.24

-0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 28.41

$4.09 NOK 37.98

-25.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.39

$3.66 NOK 34.02

-1.91%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 40.26

$5.03 NOK 46.77

-13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 123

$13.46 NOK 125

-1.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 143

$16.04 NOK 149

-3.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NOK 258

$30.76 NOK 286

-9.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 31.98

$3.49 NOK 32.47

-1.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.40

$2.63 NOK 24.41

-4.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 27.93

$3.35 NOK 31.16

-10.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 NOK 44.13

$5.16 NOK 47.96

-7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$2.43 NOK 22.58

-12.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 NOK 27.17

$2.71 NOK 25.21

8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 NOK 23.45

$2.85 NOK 26.48

-11.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 16.52

$2.34 NOK 21.73

-23.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 139

$17.19 NOK 160

-12.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.12 NOK 168

$18.93 NOK 176

-4.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.92

$3.35 NOK 31.12

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.37

$4.38 NOK 40.67

-8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$4.31 NOK 40.00

-11.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 957

$77.9 NOK 723

32.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 NOK 73.2

$10.04 NOK 93.3

-21.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.02

$1.38 NOK 12.86

48.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.93 NOK 278

$42.24 NOK 392

-29.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.55

$2.18 NOK 20.24

-3.67%

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

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

-5.33%

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

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

-23.31%

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

$187 NOK 1,734

$304 NOK 2,821

-38.51%

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

$35.07 NOK 326

$31.63 NOK 294

10.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 NOK 683

$57.0 NOK 530

29.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 NOK 409

$57.8 NOK 537

-23.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.8 NOK 499

$28.64 NOK 266

87.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NOK 111

$18.01 NOK 167

-33.48%

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

$302 NOK 2,801

$274 NOK 2,543

10.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

-30.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 NOK 887

$106 NOK 983

-9.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 NOK 549

$65.4 NOK 608

-9.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$124 NOK 1,152

-15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,449

$168 NOK 1,564

-7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

-34.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 NOK 6,455

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

-51.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

-52.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

-47.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

-73.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

-70.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

-3.37%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,100 in Arendal and $1,671 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 3% 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: $75.0 in Arendal vs $122 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $500 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 42% in total monthly costs ($2,218 vs $3,141 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oslo earns 3% less. 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: $1,100 in Arendal versus $1,671 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 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 9% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,218 in Arendal versus $3,141 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 42% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.