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: $2,203 in Arendal versus $2,745 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Arendal versus $4,170 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in Arendal versus $5,595 in Trondheim.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 20% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 65% above, Trondheim 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 NOK 172

$22.21 NOK 213

-19.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 NOK 717

$123 NOK 1,175

-38.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.38 NOK 148

$14.44 NOK 139

6.51%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 49.49

$4.82 NOK 46.28

7.05%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.56

$3.67 NOK 35.25

-10.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NOK 29.52

$2.99 NOK 28.67

3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 NOK 106

$10.80 NOK 104

2.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 NOK 95.5

$11.45 NOK 110

-13.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 23.09

$2.51 NOK 24.07

-3.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NOK 30.41

$3.65 NOK 34.98

-13.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 NOK 35.30

$3.86 NOK 37.05

-4.66%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 41.56

$4.59 NOK 44.00

-5.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 NOK 128

$12.21 NOK 117

8.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 148

$14.92 NOK 143

3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 268

$28.37 NOK 272

-1.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.26

$3.77 NOK 36.18

-7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.37

$2.97 NOK 28.54

-14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.90

$2.64 NOK 25.29

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 NOK 46.31

$5.01 NOK 48.05

-3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.91

$2.97 NOK 28.53

-29.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 28.33

$3.22 NOK 30.88

-8.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.02

$3.20 NOK 30.68

-18.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NOK 17.28

$2.50 NOK 23.95

-28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.08 NOK 145

$15.41 NOK 148

-2.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 NOK 171

$18.42 NOK 177

-3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 NOK 32.24

$3.66 NOK 35.09

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 38.52

$4.84 NOK 46.40

-16.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 NOK 36.51

$4.57 NOK 43.88

-16.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,021

$93.7 NOK 899

13.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 NOK 79.5

$15.40 NOK 148

-46.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.71

$2.26 NOK 21.65

-9.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.83 NOK 296

$89.5 NOK 858

-65.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 NOK 19.80

$2.12 NOK 20.29

-2.83%

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

$34.7K NOK 332.7K

$32.4K NOK 310.4K

7.19%

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

$33.3K NOK 319.9K

$43.1K NOK 413.7K

-22.69%

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

$191 NOK 1,835

$323 NOK 3,094

-40.71%

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

$35.33 NOK 339

$43.23 NOK 415

-18.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 NOK 713

$76.7 NOK 736

-3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.23 NOK 424

$42.53 NOK 408

4.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 504

$46.79 NOK 449

12.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 NOK 115

$17.26 NOK 166

-30.71%

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

$308 NOK 2,952

$321 NOK 3,079

-4.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

$8,375 NOK 80.3K

21.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 937

$110 NOK 1,057

-11.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 NOK 572

$47.48 NOK 455

25.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 994

$128 NOK 1,229

-19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,542

$132 NOK 1,263

22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 NOK 10.3K

$1,371 NOK 13.2K

-21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NOK 6,753

$1,079 NOK 10.3K

-34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 NOK 12.6K

$2,269 NOK 21.8K

-41.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NOK 10.9K

$1,685 NOK 16.2K

-32.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,161 NOK 30.3K

$6,109 NOK 58.6K

-48.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 NOK 20.0K

$4,952 NOK 47.5K

-57.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,017 NOK 38.5K

$4,148 NOK 39.8K

-3.16%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Arendal and $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim 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 $123 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $487 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 25% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $2,745 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Trondheim. 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: $1,071 in Arendal versus $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $321 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,203 in Arendal versus $2,745 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 25% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.