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: $2,252 in Arendal versus $2,776 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Arendal versus $4,121 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,548 in Arendal versus $5,465 in Trondheim.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 19% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 68% above, Trondheim 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 NOK 173

$22.39 NOK 213

-18.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 NOK 716

$119 NOK 1,131

-36.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 147

$14.04 NOK 133

9.97%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 49.49

$4.72 NOK 44.83

10.38%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.46

$3.62 NOK 34.35

-11.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NOK 28.99

$2.94 NOK 27.88

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$10.68 NOK 101

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 97.1

$11.73 NOK 111

-12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.94

$2.64 NOK 25.03

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 NOK 28.52

$3.52 NOK 33.36

-14.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.13

$3.96 NOK 37.59

-9.09%

Eggs

$4.36 NOK 41.38

$4.56 NOK 43.28

-4.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 NOK 123

$12.35 NOK 117

5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.36 NOK 146

$15.21 NOK 144

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.96 NOK 265

$28.37 NOK 269

-1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.30

$3.78 NOK 35.84

-10.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.08

$2.83 NOK 26.84

-10.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.41

$2.64 NOK 25.01

17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 43.20

$5.31 NOK 50.4

-14.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.60

$2.87 NOK 27.27

-27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.27

$3.18 NOK 30.19

-6.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 24.75

$3.24 NOK 30.73

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.65

$2.52 NOK 23.97

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 146

$15.32 NOK 145

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.24 NOK 173

$18.36 NOK 174

-0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.83

$3.72 NOK 35.28

-9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 NOK 38.01

$4.83 NOK 45.88

-17.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 NOK 36.88

$4.75 NOK 45.11

-18.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,009

$93.7 NOK 889

13.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 NOK 75.3

$14.89 NOK 141

-46.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.74

$2.19 NOK 20.78

-5.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.96 NOK 294

$87.8 NOK 833

-64.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.71

$2.22 NOK 21.08

-6.31%

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

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

$32.2K NOK 306.0K

5.11%

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

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

$42.5K NOK 403.0K

-22.41%

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

$189 NOK 1,793

$328 NOK 3,118

-42.49%

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

$35.99 NOK 342

$43.15 NOK 410

-16.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.0 NOK 703

$75.0 NOK 712

-1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 NOK 423

$42.27 NOK 401

5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.0 NOK 513

$46.32 NOK 440

16.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NOK 113

$17.14 NOK 163

-30.40%

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

$306 NOK 2,903

$322 NOK 3,059

-5.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

$8,553 NOK 81.2K

19.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 919

$113 NOK 1,076

-14.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 NOK 550

$47.89 NOK 455

20.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,003

$126 NOK 1,195

-16.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,512

$134 NOK 1,269

19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

$1,396 NOK 13.2K

-21.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 NOK 6,722

$1,055 NOK 10.0K

-32.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

$2,233 NOK 21.2K

-40.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

$1,689 NOK 16.0K

-31.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

$6,157 NOK 58.4K

-47.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

$4,848 NOK 46.0K

-56.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

$4,264 NOK 40.5K

-4.31%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Arendal and $1,396 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 4% 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 $119 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 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 23% in total monthly costs ($2,252 vs $2,776 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Trondheim earns 4% 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: $1,099 in Arendal versus $1,396 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Arendal versus $322 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.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arendal is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 23% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.