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: $2,432 in Hamar versus $2,800 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,812 in Hamar versus $3,949 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Hamar versus $5,098 in Arendal.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 13% less than in Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 76% above, Arendal 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 NOK 198

$20.59 NOK 191

3.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 NOK 1,222

$67.6 NOK 627

94.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.33 NOK 152

$16.19 NOK 150

0.86%

Cappuccino

$6.11 NOK 56.6

$5.73 NOK 53.2

6.63%

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

$4.19 NOK 38.87

$3.67 NOK 34.05

14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.35

$3.30 NOK 30.57

5.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.95 NOK 111

$12.09 NOK 112

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 NOK 79.7

$12.42 NOK 115

-30.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.97

$2.47 NOK 22.95

4.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.15

$3.76 NOK 34.86

-19.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 NOK 19.57

$3.96 NOK 36.71

-46.72%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$5.01 NOK 46.51

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 NOK 105

$15.04 NOK 140

-25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 120

$14.99 NOK 139

-13.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.84 NOK 277

$35.11 NOK 326

-15.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.86

$3.66 NOK 33.93

-9.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 24.70

$2.83 NOK 26.24

-6.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 28.91

$3.54 NOK 32.82

-11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NOK 55.0

$4.90 NOK 45.46

21.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.65

$2.58 NOK 23.91

-1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.22

$3.22 NOK 29.84

-18.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NOK 20.51

$2.83 NOK 26.21

-21.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 NOK 19.37

$2.42 NOK 22.45

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.10 NOK 177

$18.04 NOK 167

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.83 NOK 156

$15.03 NOK 139

11.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 NOK 32.52

$3.71 NOK 34.42

-5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 NOK 39.94

$4.51 NOK 41.84

-4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.71 NOK 43.66

$3.84 NOK 35.59

22.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 NOK 649

$91.4 NOK 848

-23.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.43 NOK 115

$6.40 NOK 59.3

94.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.81

$1.73 NOK 16.09

10.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.0 NOK 668

$105 NOK 978

-31.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.29

$2.37 NOK 21.97

-3.38%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.4K

$50.5K NOK 468.6K

-0.46%

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

$45.4K NOK 420.9K

$42.0K NOK 389.5K

8.08%

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

$229 NOK 2,128

$257 NOK 2,389

-10.92%

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

$33.05 NOK 307

$36.25 NOK 336

-8.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 NOK 540

$81.7 NOK 758

-28.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 NOK 545

$38.34 NOK 356

53.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.84 NOK 277

Cinema Ticket

$19.63 NOK 182

$16.01 NOK 149

22.61%

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

$212 NOK 1,969

$324 NOK 3,003

-34.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.5K

$14.6K NOK 135.4K

11.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 942

$129 NOK 1,195

-21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 NOK 573

$45.21 NOK 419

36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,240

$128 NOK 1,184

4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NOK 998

$205 NOK 1,904

-47.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 NOK 11.6K

$1,171 NOK 10.9K

6.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 NOK 8,209

$1,090 NOK 10.1K

-18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 NOK 15.2K

$1,635 NOK 15.2K

0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 NOK 14.1K

$1,495 NOK 13.9K

1.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,488 NOK 41.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,585 NOK 33.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,278 NOK 39.7K

$4,205 NOK 39.0K

1.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

4.68

5.98%

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

Last update for Hamar: September 7, 2026

Last update for Arendal: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Hamar and $1,171 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $132 in Hamar vs $68.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $459 vs $510, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($2,432 vs $2,800 including rent). Hamar 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: $1,250 in Hamar versus $1,171 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $212 in Hamar versus $324 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,432 in Hamar versus $2,800 in Arendal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar 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 Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.