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: $2,374 in Hamar versus $3,031 in Hilversum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Hamar versus $4,470 in Hilversum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Hamar versus $5,908 in Hilversum.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 22% less than in Hilversum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Hilversum 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 238

$28.98 €24.97

-13.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,165

$92.0 €79.3

33.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 NOK 143

$16.29 €14.04

-7.55%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.54

$4.56 €3.93

9.87%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.03

$3.84 €3.31

9.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.86

$3.14 €2.71

3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.22 NOK 116

$5.72 €4.93

113.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 NOK 78.1

$5.20 €4.48

58.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$1.37 €1.18

53.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$2.27 €1.96

31.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.36

$3.65 €3.14

-44.11%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 46.99

$4.95 €4.27

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 NOK 98.5

$12.56 €10.82

-17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 NOK 113

$17.16 €14.78

-30.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.60 NOK 290

$17.12 €14.75

78.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.97

$1.89 €1.63

89.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.97

$2.59 €2.23

-2.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.50

$1.86 €1.60

55.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.27

$3.85 €3.32

31.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.46

$2.15 €1.85

10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.38

$2.22 €1.92

6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NOK 19.31

$1.22 €1.05

66.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NOK 18.54

$0.91 €0.78

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 166

$12.42 €10.70

41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 NOK 177

$6.75 €5.82

177.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.02

$1.50 €1.29

132.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.66

$2.69 €2.32

55.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.25

$4.52 €3.90

0.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NOK 609

$98.2 €84.6

-34.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$5.92 €5.10

67.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.16

$2.12 €1.83

-34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 NOK 404

$28.74 €24.76

48.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.16

$2.21 €1.90

-4.07%

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

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

$41.6K €35.8K

-12.64%

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

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

$40.5K €34.9K

5.54%

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

$217 NOK 2,063

$260 €224

-16.54%

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

$30.76 NOK 292

$29.56 €25.47

4.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 536

$57.3 €49.36

-1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NOK 536

$69.2 €59.6

-18.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 NOK 266

$42.02 €36.21

-33.39%

Cinema Ticket

$18.07 NOK 172

$17.51 €15.08

3.20%

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

$206 NOK 1,960

$668 €575

-69.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

$7,513 €6,474

96.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 985

$125 €108

-17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 572

$61.9 €53.3

-2.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,185

$132 €113

-5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 947

$186 €160

-46.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

$1,765 €1,521

-33.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 NOK 7,783

$1,481 €1,276

-44.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

$2,954 €2,546

-48.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

$2,411 €2,078

-40.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$7,096 €6,114

-15.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$5,320 €4,584

-15.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

$3,757 €3,237

13.32%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Hamar and $1,765 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $123 in Hamar vs $92.0 in Hilversum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $350 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 28% in total monthly costs ($2,374 vs $3,031 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 13% 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 $1,765 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 $123 versus $92.0 in Hilversum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,374 in Hamar versus $3,031 in Hilversum, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. 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 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 28% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.