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: $2,432 in Hamar versus $2,986 in Hilversum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,812 in Hamar versus $4,351 in Hilversum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Hamar versus $5,716 in Hilversum.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 19% less than in Hilversum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 76% above, Hilversum 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 NOK 198

$29.56 €25.48

-27.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 NOK 1,222

$81.0 €69.8

62.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.33 NOK 152

$17.78 €15.33

-8.16%

Cappuccino

$6.11 NOK 56.6

$4.62 €3.98

32.25%

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

$4.19 NOK 38.87

$4.16 €3.59

0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.35

$3.05 €2.63

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.95 NOK 111

$5.71 €4.92

109.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 NOK 79.7

$5.96 €5.14

44.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.97

$1.31 €1.13

96.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.15

$2.33 €2.01

30.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 NOK 19.57

$3.70 €3.19

-42.97%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$5.21 €4.49

18.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 NOK 105

$13.10 €11.29

-13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 120

$17.05 €14.69

-23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.84 NOK 277

$17.52 €15.11

70.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.86

$2.06 €1.78

61.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 24.70

$2.61 €2.25

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 28.91

$1.88 €1.62

65.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NOK 55.0

$3.30 €2.84

79.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.65

$2.12 €1.82

20.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.22

$2.16 €1.86

20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NOK 20.51

$1.25 €1.07

76.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 NOK 19.37

$1.19 €1.03

75.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.10 NOK 177

$12.96 €11.17

47.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.83 NOK 156

$6.84 €5.90

146.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 NOK 32.52

$1.50 €1.30

134.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 NOK 39.94

$2.81 €2.42

53.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.71 NOK 43.66

$3.65 €3.15

29.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 NOK 649

$69.7 €60.1

0.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.43 NOK 115

$5.88 €5.07

111.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.81

$3.59 €3.10

-46.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.0 NOK 668

$23.20 €20.00

210.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.29

$2.34 €2.02

-2.14%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.4K

$42.1K €36.3K

19.30%

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

$45.4K NOK 420.9K

$43.9K €37.9K

3.31%

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

$229 NOK 2,128

$281 €242

-18.31%

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

$33.05 NOK 307

$30.47 €26.26

8.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 NOK 540

$66.1 €57.0

-11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 NOK 545

$68.9 €59.4

-14.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.84 NOK 277

$35.32 €30.45

-15.52%

Cinema Ticket

$19.63 NOK 182

$17.17 €14.80

14.33%

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

$212 NOK 1,969

$730 €629

-70.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.5K

$16.5K €14.3K

-1.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 942

$116 €100

-12.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 NOK 573

$50.5 €43.51

22.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,240

$94.1 €81.1

42.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NOK 998

$146 €126

-26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 NOK 11.6K

$1,777 €1,532

-29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 NOK 8,209

$1,513 €1,304

-41.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 NOK 15.2K

$2,995 €2,582

-45.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 NOK 14.1K

$2,449 €2,111

-37.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,488 NOK 41.6K

$7,110 €6,129

-36.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,585 NOK 33.3K

$5,422 €4,673

-33.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,278 NOK 39.7K

$4,156 €3,582

2.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

4.3

15.35%

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

Last update for Hamar: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Hamar and $1,777 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 3% 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 $81.0 in Hilversum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $356 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 23% in total monthly costs ($2,432 vs $2,986 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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 $1,777 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 29% 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 $132 versus $81.0 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 23% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.