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: $2,370 in Hamar versus $3,182 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $4,651 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $6,119 in Oslo.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 26% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Oslo 138% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$24.80 NOK 231

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$123 NOK 1,146

-1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$15.20 NOK 142

-2.11%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$5.03 NOK 46.85

0.40%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$4.15 NOK 38.66

-1.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$3.23 NOK 30.13

-1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$12.01 NOK 112

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$11.31 NOK 105

-29.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$2.31 NOK 21.48

-10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$4.14 NOK 38.59

-30.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$3.60 NOK 33.53

-42.50%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$5.10 NOK 47.54

-2.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$13.21 NOK 123

-19.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$16.45 NOK 153

-27.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$31.37 NOK 292

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$3.48 NOK 32.40

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.52 NOK 23.49

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$3.29 NOK 30.66

-12.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$5.11 NOK 47.67

0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$2.43 NOK 22.65

-1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.65 NOK 24.73

-7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$2.88 NOK 26.81

-30.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$2.43 NOK 22.66

-20.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$17.47 NOK 163

-3.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$19.32 NOK 180

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$3.41 NOK 31.81

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$4.39 NOK 40.94

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$4.20 NOK 39.13

6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$78.8 NOK 735

-17.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$10.18 NOK 94.9

0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$1.40 NOK 13.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$42.71 NOK 398

-0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$2.22 NOK 20.65

-5.41%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$36.6K NOK 340.9K

0.89%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

3.42%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$306 NOK 2,848

-29.53%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$30.90 NOK 288

1.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$55.8 NOK 520

0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$56.2 NOK 524

-0.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$29.12 NOK 271

-4.36%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$17.89 NOK 167

0.11%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$266 NOK 2,475

-25.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$14.5K NOK 135.4K

2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$105 NOK 980

0.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$65.7 NOK 612

-6.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$123 NOK 1,150

0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$162 NOK 1,514

-38.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

-32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$1,421 NOK 13.2K

-40.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$2,699 NOK 25.2K

-44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

-34.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$11.4K NOK 106.3K

-61.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$7,770 NOK 72.4K

-54.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$4,467 NOK 41.6K

-2.66%

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 Oslo: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $1,738 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 3% 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: $121 in Hamar vs $123 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $504 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 ($2,370 vs $3,182 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Oslo earns 3% 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: $1,168 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 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 $121 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.