Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamar versus $2,203 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $3,348 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $4,494 in Arendal.

Living in Hamar is roughly 8% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 79% above, Arendal 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 244

$17.89 NOK 172

41.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,170

$74.8 NOK 717

63.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 147

$15.38 NOK 148

-0.72%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.59

$5.16 NOK 49.49

-1.74%

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

$4.21 NOK 40.39

$3.29 NOK 31.56

27.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.47

$3.08 NOK 29.52

3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 115

$11.02 NOK 106

8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 78.5

$9.95 NOK 95.5

-17.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 20.16

$2.41 NOK 23.09

-12.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 27.29

$3.17 NOK 30.41

-10.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.63

$3.68 NOK 35.30

-44.29%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.84

$4.33 NOK 41.56

20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 99.9

$13.30 NOK 128

-21.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 117

$15.42 NOK 148

-20.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 299

$27.89 NOK 268

11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.04

$3.47 NOK 33.26

-0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$2.54 NOK 24.37

-1.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.69

$3.12 NOK 29.90

-7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.77

$4.83 NOK 46.31

5.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.81

$2.08 NOK 19.91

14.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.95

$2.95 NOK 28.33

-18.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 19.18

$2.61 NOK 25.02

-23.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.12

$1.80 NOK 17.28

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 167

$15.08 NOK 145

15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 173

$17.78 NOK 171

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.75

$3.36 NOK 32.24

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.80

$4.02 NOK 38.52

5.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 43.02

$3.81 NOK 36.51

17.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 619

$106 NOK 1,021

-39.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 95.7

$8.29 NOK 79.5

20.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.27

$2.05 NOK 19.71

-32.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 409

$30.83 NOK 296

38.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.20

$2.06 NOK 19.80

2.43%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.4K

$34.7K NOK 332.7K

3.49%

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

$43.2K NOK 414.6K

$33.3K NOK 319.9K

29.60%

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

$218 NOK 2,096

$191 NOK 1,835

14.23%

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

$31.47 NOK 302

$35.33 NOK 339

-10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 539

$74.4 NOK 713

-24.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

$44.23 NOK 424

25.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 268

$52.6 NOK 504

-46.79%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 173

$11.96 NOK 115

50.67%

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

$203 NOK 1,944

$308 NOK 2,952

-34.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 140.2K

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

43.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,014

$97.7 NOK 937

8.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 580

$59.6 NOK 572

1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,161

$104 NOK 994

16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 988

$161 NOK 1,542

-35.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.1K

$1,071 NOK 10.3K

8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,902

$704 NOK 6,753

17.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.3K

$1,317 NOK 12.6K

13.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.9K

$1,138 NOK 10.9K

26.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 40.4K

$3,161 NOK 30.3K

33.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 33.1K

$2,090 NOK 20.0K

64.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.4K

$4,017 NOK 38.5K

2.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

3.6

41.11%

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

Last update for Hamar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $1,071 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar 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: $122 in Hamar vs $75.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $438 vs $462, with Hamar cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hamar vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Arendal differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $2,203 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Hamar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,160 in Hamar versus $1,071 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Hamar versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamar pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,203 in Arendal versus $2,379 in Hamar, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Hamar. 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, Hamar and Arendal 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 8% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.