Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamar versus $3,188 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $4,644 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $6,099 in Oslo.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 25% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 79% above, Oslo 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 244

$25.21 NOK 242

0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,170

$123 NOK 1,183

-1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 147

$15.39 NOK 148

-0.78%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.59

$4.86 NOK 46.65

4.32%

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

$4.21 NOK 40.39

$4.22 NOK 40.51

-0.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.47

$3.32 NOK 31.83

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 115

$12.23 NOK 117

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 78.5

$11.04 NOK 106

-25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 20.16

$2.33 NOK 22.31

-9.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 27.29

$4.18 NOK 40.14

-32.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.63

$3.56 NOK 34.14

-42.42%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.84

$4.93 NOK 47.28

5.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 99.9

$13.33 NOK 128

-21.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 117

$16.54 NOK 159

-26.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 299

$31.01 NOK 297

0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.04

$3.57 NOK 34.22

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$2.52 NOK 24.16

-0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.69

$3.29 NOK 31.58

-12.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.77

$4.97 NOK 47.69

2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.81

$2.44 NOK 23.45

-2.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.95

$2.65 NOK 25.43

-9.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 19.18

$2.78 NOK 26.68

-28.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.12

$2.32 NOK 22.25

-18.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 167

$17.05 NOK 164

2.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 173

$18.64 NOK 179

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.75

$3.45 NOK 33.08

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.80

$4.33 NOK 41.58

-1.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 43.02

$4.13 NOK 39.65

8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 619

$79.1 NOK 758

-18.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 95.7

$10.04 NOK 96.4

-0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.27

$1.44 NOK 13.80

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 409

$42.41 NOK 407

0.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.20

$2.18 NOK 20.88

-3.21%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.4K

$35.9K NOK 344.6K

-0.06%

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

$43.2K NOK 414.6K

$42.5K NOK 407.2K

1.80%

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

$218 NOK 2,096

$295 NOK 2,830

-25.94%

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

$31.47 NOK 302

$30.62 NOK 294

2.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 539

$55.2 NOK 530

1.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

-0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 268

$28.35 NOK 272

-1.34%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 173

$18.46 NOK 177

-2.38%

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

$203 NOK 1,944

$265 NOK 2,539

-23.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 140.2K

$14.8K NOK 142.2K

-1.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,014

$103 NOK 989

2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 580

$64.9 NOK 623

-6.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,161

$121 NOK 1,160

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 988

$164 NOK 1,576

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.1K

$1,676 NOK 16.1K

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,902

$1,415 NOK 13.6K

-41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.3K

$2,748 NOK 26.4K

-45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.9K

$2,158 NOK 20.7K

-33.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 40.4K

$11.6K NOK 111.7K

-63.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 33.1K

$7,087 NOK 68.0K

-51.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.4K

$4,263 NOK 40.9K

-3.57%

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 Oslo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $1,676 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $122 in Hamar vs $123 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $501 per month, with Hamar 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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Oslo differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $3,188 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Oslo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,160 in Hamar versus $1,676 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamar – a meal for two runs $122 versus $123 in Oslo. 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 Oslo 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 34% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.