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: $2,374 in Hamar versus $3,167 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Hamar versus $4,598 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Hamar versus $6,029 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 77% above, Oslo 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 238

$25.05 NOK 238

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,165

$121 NOK 1,145

1.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 NOK 143

$15.29 NOK 145

-1.50%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.54

$5.01 NOK 47.58

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

$4.22 NOK 40.03

$4.22 NOK 40.04

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.86

$3.33 NOK 31.62

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.22 NOK 116

$11.97 NOK 114

2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 NOK 78.1

$11.28 NOK 107

-27.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$2.29 NOK 21.75

-8.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$4.12 NOK 39.10

-27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.36

$3.60 NOK 34.19

-43.33%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 46.99

$5.15 NOK 48.87

-3.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 NOK 98.5

$13.37 NOK 127

-22.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 NOK 113

$16.54 NOK 157

-28.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.60 NOK 290

$31.78 NOK 302

-3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.97

$3.55 NOK 33.66

0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.97

$2.60 NOK 24.69

-2.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.50

$3.42 NOK 32.50

-15.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.27

$4.97 NOK 47.21

2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.46

$2.56 NOK 24.29

-7.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.38

$2.67 NOK 25.36

-11.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NOK 19.31

$2.78 NOK 26.35

-26.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NOK 18.54

$2.39 NOK 22.73

-18.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 166

$16.92 NOK 161

3.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 NOK 177

$19.07 NOK 181

-1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.02

$3.46 NOK 32.83

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.66

$4.23 NOK 40.15

-1.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.25

$4.16 NOK 39.48

9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NOK 609

$79.0 NOK 750

-18.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$10.08 NOK 95.7

-1.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.16

$1.45 NOK 13.76

-4.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 NOK 404

$42.60 NOK 404

-0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.16

$2.18 NOK 20.69

-2.75%

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

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

$36.8K NOK 349.4K

-1.32%

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

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

$41.9K NOK 397.5K

1.96%

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

$217 NOK 2,063

$301 NOK 2,857

-27.79%

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

$30.76 NOK 292

$31.61 NOK 300

-2.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 536

$56.3 NOK 534

0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NOK 536

$56.2 NOK 533

0.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 NOK 266

$29.38 NOK 279

-4.73%

Cinema Ticket

$18.07 NOK 172

$18.20 NOK 173

-0.71%

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

$206 NOK 1,960

$273 NOK 2,587

-24.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

$15.0K NOK 142.3K

-1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 985

$102 NOK 966

1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 572

$64.9 NOK 616

-7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,185

$122 NOK 1,155

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 947

$167 NOK 1,590

-40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

$1,738 NOK 16.5K

-32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 NOK 7,783

$1,422 NOK 13.5K

-42.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

$2,689 NOK 25.5K

-43.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

$2,122 NOK 20.1K

-32.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$11.7K NOK 110.8K

-48.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$7,097 NOK 67.4K

-36.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

$4,357 NOK 41.4K

-2.29%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Oslo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Hamar and $1,738 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 2% 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: $123 in Hamar vs $121 in Oslo. Groceries flip the comparison at $438 vs $506, with Hamar cheaper for home cooking.

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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,374 vs $3,167 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oslo earns 2% less. 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: $1,171 in Hamar versus $1,738 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $123 versus $121 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,374 in Hamar versus $3,167 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Oslo. 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 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 33% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.