Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Trondheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Trondheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,198 in Arendal versus $2,794 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,317 in Arendal versus $4,158 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,436 in Arendal versus $5,521 in Trondheim.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 21% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 64% above, Trondheim 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 NOK 169

$22.32 NOK 208

-18.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 NOK 719

$121 NOK 1,127

-36.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 NOK 142

$14.30 NOK 133

6.36%

Cappuccino

$5.13 NOK 47.77

$4.67 NOK 43.55

9.85%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$3.66 NOK 34.10

-12.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NOK 28.12

$2.89 NOK 26.90

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.12 NOK 104

$10.79 NOK 101

3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 92.9

$11.44 NOK 107

-12.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 NOK 22.18

$2.52 NOK 23.51

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 NOK 28.46

$3.60 NOK 33.53

-15.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.38

$3.86 NOK 35.93

-7.25%

Eggs

$4.47 NOK 41.70

$4.55 NOK 42.37

-1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 NOK 121

$12.19 NOK 114

6.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.35 NOK 143

$15.17 NOK 141

1.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.55 NOK 257

$28.24 NOK 263

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.17

$3.88 NOK 36.13

-8.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.62

$3.00 NOK 27.92

-15.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 27.56

$2.67 NOK 24.88

10.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 43.05

$5.03 NOK 46.86

-8.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 19.89

$2.97 NOK 27.73

-28.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.45

$3.34 NOK 31.09

-11.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.31

$3.24 NOK 30.20

-22.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.10

$2.53 NOK 23.59

-27.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.15 NOK 141

$15.40 NOK 143

-1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.88 NOK 167

$19.08 NOK 178

-6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NOK 31.47

$3.66 NOK 34.10

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 NOK 36.84

$4.73 NOK 44.05

-16.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 NOK 36.17

$4.69 NOK 43.68

-17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 958

$93.3 NOK 870

10.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 NOK 74.1

$15.00 NOK 140

-47.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.36

$2.16 NOK 20.16

-3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.62 NOK 285

$88.6 NOK 826

-65.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.12

$2.13 NOK 19.86

-3.76%

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

$34.0K NOK 316.9K

$32.0K NOK 298.2K

6.27%

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

$32.6K NOK 303.5K

$41.8K NOK 389.9K

-22.17%

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

$190 NOK 1,770

$318 NOK 2,962

-40.22%

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

$35.04 NOK 327

$41.68 NOK 388

-15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 NOK 674

$76.9 NOK 717

-5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 NOK 402

$42.83 NOK 399

0.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 NOK 488

$47.79 NOK 445

9.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 NOK 111

$17.29 NOK 161

-30.94%

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

$302 NOK 2,813

$329 NOK 3,069

-8.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$8,501 NOK 79.2K

20.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.5 NOK 909

$110 NOK 1,022

-11.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 NOK 545

$47.69 NOK 444

22.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 971

$129 NOK 1,202

-19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,462

$132 NOK 1,228

19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 NOK 10.1K

$1,386 NOK 12.9K

-22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 NOK 6,615

$1,065 NOK 9,928

-33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NOK 12.4K

$2,218 NOK 20.7K

-40.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 NOK 10.5K

$1,676 NOK 15.6K

-32.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,225 NOK 30.1K

$6,199 NOK 57.8K

-47.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,152 NOK 20.1K

$4,921 NOK 45.9K

-56.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,277 NOK 39.9K

$4,339 NOK 40.4K

-1.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

4.32

-16.67%

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

Last update for Arendal: April 27, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,080 in Arendal and $1,386 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 1% 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: $77.0 in Arendal vs $121 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $490 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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Trondheim differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,198 vs $2,794 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Trondheim earns 1% 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: $1,080 in Arendal versus $1,386 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Arendal versus $329 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,198 in Arendal versus $2,794 in Trondheim, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim 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 27% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.