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: $2,370 in Hamar versus $2,748 in Jessheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $4,011 in Jessheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $5,274 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 77% above, Jessheim 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$25.27 NOK 236

0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$82.3 NOK 767

47.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$15.07 NOK 140

-1.26%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$4.61 NOK 42.98

9.54%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$2.96 NOK 27.59

38.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$3.13 NOK 29.19

1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$10.31 NOK 96.1

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$8.79 NOK 81.9

-9.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$2.05 NOK 19.11

0.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$4.14 NOK 38.61

-30.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$2.24 NOK 20.85

-7.59%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$2.96 NOK 27.60

67.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$13.34 NOK 124

-19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$13.44 NOK 125

-10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$27.09 NOK 252

16.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$2.32 NOK 21.59

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.03 NOK 18.96

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$2.72 NOK 25.35

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$3.60 NOK 33.55

43.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$1.83 NOK 17.08

30.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.59 NOK 24.11

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$2.41 NOK 22.49

-16.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$0.63 NOK 5.91

207.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$13.48 NOK 126

25.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$18.05 NOK 168

3.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$3.44 NOK 32.10

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$4.17 NOK 38.90

-0.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$4.53 NOK 42.25

-1.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$87.8 NOK 818

-25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$10.02 NOK 93.4

1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$1.44 NOK 13.40

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$41.52 NOK 387

2.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$2.06 NOK 19.20

1.94%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$36.0K NOK 335.3K

2.59%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$36.1K NOK 336.0K

20.35%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$300 NOK 2,796

-28.21%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$31.42 NOK 293

0.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$56.6 NOK 527

-1.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$48.36 NOK 451

15.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$35.19 NOK 328

-20.86%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$18.20 NOK 170

-1.59%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$267 NOK 2,488

-25.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$14.6K NOK 136.4K

1.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$102 NOK 951

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$65.4 NOK 609

-5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$123 NOK 1,147

0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$166 NOK 1,551

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$1,337 NOK 12.5K

-12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$1,107 NOK 10.3K

-23.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$1,810 NOK 16.9K

-17.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$1,702 NOK 15.9K

-15.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$8,427 NOK 78.5K

-47.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$3,886 NOK 36.2K

11.89%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jessheim: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $1,337 in Jessheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 12% 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 $82.0 in Jessheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $414 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 ($2,370 vs $2,748 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 12% 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 $1,337 in Jessheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Jessheim pay roughly 7% 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 $82.0 in Jessheim. 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 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.