Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,558 per month in Arlington, VA vs $3,141 in Oslo, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,438 per month in Arlington, VA vs $4,597 in Oslo, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,318 per month in Arlington, VA vs $6,053 in Oslo, rent included.

Arlington, VA costs about 13% more than Oslo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Arlington, VA and Oslo sit above the global median – Arlington, VA by 166%, Oslo by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 $24.71

$25.53 NOK 237

-3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 $89.8

$123 NOK 1,138

-26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$15.15 NOK 141

-22.11%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$4.86 NOK 45.18

17.49%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$4.08 NOK 37.95

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.19 NOK 29.65

-17.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$12.02 NOK 112

-34.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.77 $8.77

$11.22 NOK 104

-21.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.39 NOK 22.24

-49.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.24 $4.24

$4.09 NOK 37.98

3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.05 $7.05

$3.66 NOK 34.02

92.62%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$5.03 NOK 46.77

-11.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$13.46 NOK 125

29.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.01 $15.01

$16.04 NOK 149

-6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.16 $21.16

$30.76 NOK 286

-31.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$3.49 NOK 32.47

71.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.63 NOK 24.41

-20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.35 NOK 31.16

55.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.16 NOK 47.96

15.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.43 NOK 22.58

46.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.71 NOK 25.21

23.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.85 NOK 26.48

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.34 NOK 21.73

4.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.73 $12.73

$17.19 NOK 160

-25.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.89 $16.89

$18.93 NOK 176

-10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.35 NOK 31.12

-41.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.38 NOK 40.67

-5.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.31 NOK 40.00

-16.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 $123

$77.9 NOK 723

57.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$10.04 NOK 93.3

-69.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.38 NOK 12.86

10.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.73 $21.73

$42.24 NOK 392

-48.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.18 NOK 20.24

-59.63%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

-16.87%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

-40.75%

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

$210 $210

$304 NOK 2,821

-30.79%

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

$60.1 $60.1

$31.63 NOK 294

89.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$57.0 NOK 530

26.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 $77.2

$57.8 NOK 537

33.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.93 $23.93

$28.64 NOK 266

-16.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$18.01 NOK 167

-15.71%

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

$2,044 $2,044

$274 NOK 2,543

646.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

179.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$106 NOK 983

-46.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$65.4 NOK 608

-23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 $94.8

$124 NOK 1,152

-23.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$168 NOK 1,564

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 $2,426

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

45.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 $1,884

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

30.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,268 $4,268

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

55.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,611 $3,611

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

66.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,732 $5,732

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

-52.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,600 $4,600

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

-36.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,663 $6,663

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

51.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.08

28.94%

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

Last update for Arlington, VA: June 2, 2026

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,426 in Arlington, VA versus $1,671 in Oslo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Arlington, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Arlington, VA versus $122 in Oslo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $500 – making Arlington, VA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Arlington, VA vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 13% more than Oslo, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,337 per month in Arlington, VA and $4,711 in Oslo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oslo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Arlington, VA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Arlington, VA and $122 in Oslo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,558 in Arlington, VA and $3,141 in Oslo. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Oslo costs $3,141 versus $3,558 in Arlington, VA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Oslo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arlington, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.