Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Jessheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Jessheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamar versus $2,758 in Jessheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $3,975 in Jessheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $5,192 in Jessheim.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 14% less than in Jessheim, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 79% above, Jessheim 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 244

$25.20 NOK 242

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,170

$81.4 NOK 780

49.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 147

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.59

$4.77 NOK 45.73

6.29%

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

$4.21 NOK 40.39

$2.81 NOK 27.00

49.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.47

$3.11 NOK 29.83

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 115

$10.27 NOK 98.5

16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 78.5

$8.95 NOK 85.9

-8.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 20.16

$2.09 NOK 20.04

0.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 27.29

$3.99 NOK 38.32

-28.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.63

$2.15 NOK 20.64

-4.65%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.84

$3.13 NOK 30.00

66.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 99.9

$13.64 NOK 131

-23.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 117

$13.90 NOK 133

-12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 299

$27.77 NOK 266

12.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.04

$2.41 NOK 23.16

42.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$2.04 NOK 19.58

22.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.69

$2.81 NOK 27.00

2.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.77

$3.61 NOK 34.66

40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.81

$1.92 NOK 18.45

23.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.95

$2.61 NOK 25.01

-8.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 19.18

$2.42 NOK 23.24

-17.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.12

$0.60 NOK 5.72

215.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 167

$13.93 NOK 134

24.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 173

$17.27 NOK 166

4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.75

$3.47 NOK 33.33

1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.80

$4.17 NOK 40.01

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 43.02

$4.37 NOK 41.91

2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 619

$88.9 NOK 853

-27.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 95.7

$9.96 NOK 95.6

0.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.27

$1.39 NOK 13.36

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 409

$41.53 NOK 398

2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.20

$2.08 NOK 19.92

1.44%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.4K

$36.9K NOK 353.5K

-2.59%

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

$43.2K NOK 414.6K

$34.8K NOK 333.6K

24.27%

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

$218 NOK 2,096

$303 NOK 2,902

-27.78%

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

$31.47 NOK 302

$31.44 NOK 302

0.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 539

$56.3 NOK 540

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

$49.89 NOK 479

11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 268

$34.96 NOK 335

-19.99%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 173

$18.43 NOK 177

-2.22%

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

$203 NOK 1,944

$268 NOK 2,573

-24.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 140.2K

$14.9K NOK 142.7K

-1.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,014

$102 NOK 982

3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 580

$66.3 NOK 636

-8.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,161

$122 NOK 1,167

-0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 988

$162 NOK 1,553

-36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.1K

$1,317 NOK 12.6K

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,902

$1,120 NOK 10.7K

-26.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.3K

$1,826 NOK 17.5K

-18.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.9K

$1,706 NOK 16.4K

-15.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 40.4K

$7,990 NOK 76.6K

-47.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 33.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.4K

$3,809 NOK 36.5K

7.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

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

Last update for Hamar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Jessheim: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $1,317 in Jessheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 8% 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 $81.0 in Jessheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $417 per month, with Jessheim 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 Jessheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Jessheim differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $2,758 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $1,317 in Jessheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Jessheim pay roughly 5% 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 $81.0 in Jessheim. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,379 in Hamar versus $2,758 in Jessheim, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Jessheim. 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 Jessheim 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 16% less than in Jessheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.