Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Hilversum Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Hilversum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,370 in Hamar versus $3,065 in Hilversum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $4,539 in Hilversum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $6,013 in Hilversum.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 23% less than in Hilversum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Hilversum 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$28.98 €24.81

-12.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$92.8 €79.4

30.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$16.05 €13.74

-7.29%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$4.44 €3.80

13.74%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$3.75 €3.21

9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$3.13 €2.68

1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$5.82 €4.98

107.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$5.28 €4.52

50.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$1.37 €1.17

51.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$2.19 €1.87

31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$3.66 €3.13

-43.44%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$4.91 €4.20

1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$13.00 €11.12

-17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$17.48 €14.96

-31.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$17.52 €15.00

79.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$1.95 €1.67

78.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.46 €2.10

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$1.85 €1.59

55.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$3.70 €3.17

39.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$2.15 €1.84

11.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.24 €1.92

9.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$1.22 €1.04

64.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$0.90 €0.77

115.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$12.37 €10.59

36.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$6.93 €5.93

170.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$1.55 €1.33

119.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$2.71 €2.32

53.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$4.69 €4.01

-4.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$96.4 €82.5

-32.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$5.75 €4.93

77.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$2.11 €1.80

-33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$29.04 €24.86

45.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$2.22 €1.90

-5.41%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$41.2K €35.3K

-10.40%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$40.1K €34.3K

8.21%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$257 €220

-16.25%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$29.55 €25.29

6.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$56.8 €48.61

-1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$68.9 €59.0

-18.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$40.66 €34.81

-31.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$17.52 €15.00

2.23%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$673 €576

-70.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$7,530 €6,446

97.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$129 €110

-18.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$61.7 €52.8

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$135 €116

-8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$186 €159

-46.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$1,721 €1,473

-32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$1,502 €1,285

-43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$3,047 €2,608

-51.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$2,448 €2,096

-41.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$7,085 €6,065

-38.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$5,409 €4,630

-34.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$3,909 €3,346

11.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.5

12.89%

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

Last update for Hamar: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $1,721 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $121 in Hamar vs $93.0 in Hilversum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $353 per month, with Hilversum 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

Hamar vs Hilversum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Hilversum differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,370 vs $3,065 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 11% 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: $1,168 in Hamar versus $1,721 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamar – a meal for two runs $121 versus $93.0 in Hilversum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hamar is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hilversum 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 29% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.