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: $2,800 in Arendal versus $2,940 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,949 in Arendal versus $4,308 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Arendal versus $5,677 in Trondheim.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 5% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 103% above, Trondheim 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 NOK 191

$21.25 NOK 197

-3.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 NOK 627

$109 NOK 1,009

-37.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.19 NOK 150

$16.37 NOK 152

-1.10%

Cappuccino

$5.73 NOK 53.2

$5.62 NOK 52.2

1.96%

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

$3.67 NOK 34.05

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-36.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 30.57

$4.42 NOK 40.99

-25.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.09 NOK 112

$13.62 NOK 126

-11.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.42 NOK 115

$13.35 NOK 124

-6.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 NOK 22.95

$2.54 NOK 23.52

-2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 NOK 34.86

$3.56 NOK 33.07

5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 36.71

$3.75 NOK 34.80

5.60%

Eggs

$5.01 NOK 46.51

$5.10 NOK 47.28

-1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.04 NOK 140

$13.60 NOK 126

10.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.99 NOK 139

$16.74 NOK 155

-10.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.11 NOK 326

$32.25 NOK 299

8.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 33.93

$3.89 NOK 36.09

-5.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.24

$2.92 NOK 27.04

-3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.82

$3.87 NOK 35.86

-8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 45.46

$5.84 NOK 54.2

-16.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 23.91

$2.86 NOK 26.49

-9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 29.84

$3.13 NOK 29.02

2.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 NOK 26.21

$2.96 NOK 27.45

-4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 NOK 22.45

$2.24 NOK 20.81

8.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.04 NOK 167

$17.68 NOK 164

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 NOK 139

$19.18 NOK 178

-21.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.71 NOK 34.42

$3.63 NOK 33.65

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 41.84

$4.76 NOK 44.11

-5.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 NOK 35.59

$4.89 NOK 45.38

-21.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 NOK 848

$102 NOK 949

-10.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 NOK 59.3

$9.51 NOK 88.2

-32.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 NOK 16.09

$1.68 NOK 15.54

2.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 978

$61.7 NOK 572

71.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.97

$2.39 NOK 22.14

-0.84%

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

$50.5K NOK 468.6K

$46.7K NOK 433.3K

8.15%

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

$42.0K NOK 389.5K

$46.4K NOK 430.6K

-9.56%

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

$257 NOK 2,389

$284 NOK 2,634

-9.30%

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

$36.25 NOK 336

$36.38 NOK 337

-0.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.7 NOK 758

$85.1 NOK 789

-3.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.34 NOK 356

$43.59 NOK 404

-12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.83 NOK 379

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 NOK 149

$20.72 NOK 192

-22.73%

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

$324 NOK 3,003

$304 NOK 2,822

6.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 135.4K

$4,496 NOK 41.7K

224.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 NOK 1,195

$112 NOK 1,036

15.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 NOK 419

$51.8 NOK 480

-12.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,184

$122 NOK 1,129

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 NOK 1,904

$158 NOK 1,466

29.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 10.9K

$1,540 NOK 14.3K

-23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 NOK 10.1K

$1,242 NOK 11.5K

-12.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 NOK 15.2K

$2,307 NOK 21.4K

-29.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 NOK 13.9K

$1,697 NOK 15.7K

-11.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,557 NOK 60.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,075 NOK 47.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 NOK 39.0K

$4,285 NOK 39.8K

-1.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.32

-12.03%

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

Last update for Arendal: September 7, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Arendal and $1,540 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 2% 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: $68.0 in Arendal vs $109 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $510 vs $519 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 5% in total monthly costs ($2,800 vs $2,940 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% 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: $1,171 in Arendal versus $1,540 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Arendal versus $304 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,800 in Arendal versus $2,940 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 5% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.