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: $2,374 in Hamar versus $2,252 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Hamar versus $3,400 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Hamar versus $4,548 in Arendal.

Living in Hamar is roughly 5% more expensive than Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Arendal 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 238

$18.27 NOK 173

37.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,165

$75.5 NOK 716

62.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 NOK 143

$15.44 NOK 147

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.54

$5.21 NOK 49.49

-3.84%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.03

$3.21 NOK 30.46

31.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.86

$3.05 NOK 28.99

6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.22 NOK 116

$10.98 NOK 104

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 NOK 78.1

$10.23 NOK 97.1

-19.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$2.31 NOK 21.94

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$3.00 NOK 28.52

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.36

$3.60 NOK 34.13

-43.33%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 46.99

$4.36 NOK 41.38

13.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 NOK 98.5

$12.99 NOK 123

-20.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 NOK 113

$15.36 NOK 146

-22.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.60 NOK 290

$27.96 NOK 265

9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.97

$3.40 NOK 32.30

5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.97

$2.54 NOK 24.08

-0.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.50

$3.10 NOK 29.41

-6.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.27

$4.55 NOK 43.20

11.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.46

$2.07 NOK 19.60

14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.38

$2.98 NOK 28.27

-20.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NOK 19.31

$2.61 NOK 24.75

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NOK 18.54

$1.75 NOK 16.65

11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 166

$15.43 NOK 146

13.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 NOK 177

$18.24 NOK 173

2.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.02

$3.35 NOK 31.83

3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.66

$4.00 NOK 38.01

4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.25

$3.89 NOK 36.88

17.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NOK 609

$106 NOK 1,009

-39.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$7.93 NOK 75.3

25.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.16

$2.08 NOK 19.74

-33.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 NOK 404

$30.96 NOK 294

37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.16

$2.08 NOK 19.71

1.92%

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

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

7.18%

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

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

29.62%

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

$217 NOK 2,063

$189 NOK 1,793

15.07%

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

$30.76 NOK 292

$35.99 NOK 342

-14.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 536

$74.0 NOK 703

-23.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NOK 536

$44.53 NOK 423

26.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 NOK 266

$54.0 NOK 513

-48.17%

Cinema Ticket

$18.07 NOK 172

$11.93 NOK 113

51.47%

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

$206 NOK 1,960

$306 NOK 2,903

-32.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

44.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 985

$96.8 NOK 919

7.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 572

$57.9 NOK 550

4.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,185

$106 NOK 1,003

18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 947

$159 NOK 1,512

-37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 NOK 7,783

$708 NOK 6,722

15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

22.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

86.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

115.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

4.33%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Arendal: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Hamar and $1,099 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 4% 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: $123 in Hamar vs $75.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $438 vs $457, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($2,374 vs $2,252 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 4% more on average, 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: $1,171 in Hamar versus $1,099 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 in Hamar versus $306 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamar pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,252 in Arendal versus $2,374 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 5% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.