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: $2,379 in Hamar versus $3,089 in Hilversum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $4,548 in Hilversum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $6,007 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 79% above, Hilversum 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 244

$28.44 €24.80

-10.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,170

$94.1 €82.0

29.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 147

$16.41 €14.31

-6.95%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.59

$4.59 €4.00

10.46%

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

$4.21 NOK 40.39

$3.92 €3.41

7.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.47

$2.98 €2.60

6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 115

$5.62 €4.90

112.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 78.5

$5.34 €4.65

53.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 20.16

$1.36 €1.18

54.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 27.29

$2.27 €1.98

25.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.63

$3.68 €3.21

-44.29%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.84

$4.81 €4.19

8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 99.9

$12.96 €11.30

-19.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 117

$17.21 €15.00

-29.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 299

$17.68 €15.41

76.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.04

$1.93 €1.68

78.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$2.47 €2.15

1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.69

$1.87 €1.63

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.77

$3.87 €3.37

31.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.81

$2.07 €1.80

14.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.95

$2.21 €1.93

8.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 19.18

$1.18 €1.03

69.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.12

$0.90 €0.78

110.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 167

$12.33 €10.75

41.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 173

$6.70 €5.84

169.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.75

$1.49 €1.30

136.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.80

$2.74 €2.39

55.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 43.02

$4.76 €4.15

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 619

$98.2 €85.6

-34.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 95.7

$5.96 €5.19

67.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.27

$2.03 €1.77

-32.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 409

$29.13 €25.40

46.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.20

$2.19 €1.91

-3.65%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.4K

$41.3K €36.0K

-13.12%

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

$43.2K NOK 414.6K

$39.6K €34.5K

9.22%

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

$218 NOK 2,096

$263 €229

-16.87%

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

$31.47 NOK 302

$29.43 €25.66

6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 539

$58.1 €50.6

-3.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

$68.6 €59.8

-18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 268

$40.51 €35.31

-30.96%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 173

$17.13 €14.94

5.20%

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

$203 NOK 1,944

$680 €593

-70.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 140.2K

$7,430 €6,478

96.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,014

$128 €112

-17.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 580

$61.0 €53.2

-0.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,161

$135 €118

-10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 988

$186 €162

-44.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.1K

$1,738 €1,515

-33.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,902

$1,509 €1,316

-45.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.3K

$3,051 €2,659

-50.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.9K

$2,404 €2,095

-39.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 40.4K

$6,889 €6,006

-38.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 33.1K

$5,248 €4,575

-34.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.4K

$3,746 €3,266

9.74%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $1,738 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Hamar vs $94.0 in Hilversum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $352 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $3,089 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $1,738 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 24% 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 $122 versus $94.0 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 30% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.