Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Harstad: $2,553 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Harstad
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,553
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Harstad and in London

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Harstad and in London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,553 in Harstad versus $4,049 in London.

  • Harstad $2,553
  • London $4,049

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,807 in Harstad versus $5,827 in London.

  • Harstad $3,807
  • London $5,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,061 in Harstad versus $7,605 in London.

  • Harstad $5,061
  • London $7,605

Living in Harstad costs roughly 37% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 88% above, London 199% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Harstad
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.18 NOK 133
$27.09 £20.33
-47.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$103 NOK 969
$104 £78.3
-1.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.83 NOK 149
$10.86 £8.15
45.76%
Cappuccino
$6.29 NOK 59.2
$5.60 £4.20
12.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 NOK 34.15
$3.05 £2.29
19.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 NOK 29.58
$2.28 £1.71
37.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.57 NOK 118
$9.23 £6.92
36.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.53 NOK 127
$7.95 £5.96
70.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Harstad
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.46 NOK 23.20
$1.83 £1.37
34.43%
White Bread (500g)
$3.25 NOK 30.60
$2.05 £1.54
58.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.22 NOK 30.27
$2.47 £1.86
30.36%
Eggs
$4.31 NOK 40.61
$5.12 £3.84
-15.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.71 NOK 101
$12.89 £9.67
-16.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.37 NOK 135
$10.84 £8.14
32.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.47 NOK 390
$17.03 £12.78
143.51%
Apples (1kg)
$4.15 NOK 39.10
$3.07 £2.30
35.18%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 NOK 26.81
$1.38 £1.03
106.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.69 NOK 34.75
$2.99 £2.24
23.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.65 NOK 43.74
$3.39 £2.54
37.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 NOK 19.36
$1.60 £1.20
28.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.04 NOK 19.21
$1.80 £1.35
13.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.98 NOK 28.02
$1.41 £1.06
111.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 NOK 22.00
$1.81 £1.36
29.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$16.03 NOK 151
$23.92 £17.94
-32.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.88 NOK 149
$13.54 £10.16
17.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NOK 35.99
$3.23 £2.42
18.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.89 NOK 46.04
$4.39 £3.29
11.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Harstad
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$6.09 NOK 57.3
$3.92 £2.94
55.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.8 NOK 770
$243 £182
-66.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$15.86 NOK 149
$5.58 £4.18
184.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 NOK 17.47
$3.27 £2.46
-43.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$55.0 NOK 517
$58.4 £43.81
-5.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.29 NOK 21.60
$2.08 £1.56
10.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.4K NOK 343.0K
$38.8K £29.1K
-6.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K NOK 291.0K
$40.6K £30.5K
-23.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Harstad
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 NOK 1,568
$380 £285
-56.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.30 NOK 313
$18.62 £13.97
78.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.4 NOK 729
$40.45 £30.35
91.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Harstad
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.78 NOK 459
$61.3 £45.95
-20.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.22 NOK 350
$21.41 £16.07
73.84%
Cinema Ticket
$17.10 NOK 161
$18.09 £13.57
-5.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Harstad
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$237 NOK 2,231
$2,905 £2,180
-91.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,116 NOK 48.2K
$35.5K £26.6K
-85.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Harstad
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.4 NOK 635
$116 £87.3
-42.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.87 NOK 328
$54.5 £40.89
-36.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NOK 1,111
$128 £95.8
-7.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 NOK 1,513
$167 £125
-3.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Harstad
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,335 NOK 12.6K
$2,852 £2,140
-53.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,035 NOK 9,740
$2,269 £1,702
-54.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,281 NOK 21.5K
$5,250 £3,939
-56.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,526 NOK 14.4K
$3,752 £2,815
-59.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,018 NOK 56.6K
$18.5K £13.9K
-67.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,991 NOK 37.6K
$8,100 £6,077
-50.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Harstad
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,383 NOK 31.8K
$5,109 £3,833
-33.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
4.74
5.49%

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

Last update for Harstad: October 17, 2026

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Harstad
$1K
London
$2.3K 119% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Harstad
$502
London
$353 29.6% $149
Eating Out
Harstad
$353
London
$400 13.2% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Harstad
$277
London
$439 58.3% $162
Clothing & Footwear
Harstad
$171
London
$209 22.1% $38
Getting Around
Harstad
$131
London
$280 114% $149
Sport & Entertainment
Harstad
$83
London
$97 17.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,335 in Harstad and $2,852 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 51% 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: $103 in Harstad vs $104 in London. Groceries flip the comparison at $502 vs $353, with London cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Harstad
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
19:46 7:46 PM
18:46 6:46 PM
1 h behind Harstad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,119
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Harstad London 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Harstad
  • London

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Harstad vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is London cheaper than Harstad?
Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Harstad or London?
On paper, salaries run 51% lower in London. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Harstad and London?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,335 in Harstad versus $2,852 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Harstad and in London?
Shoppers in London pay roughly 42% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is eating out cheaper in Harstad or in London?
Dining out is cheaper in Harstad – a meal for two runs $103 versus $104 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Harstad or in London?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Harstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is Harstad or London more family-friendly?
For families, Harstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Harstad or London?
Safety-wise, Harstad and London are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Harstad vs other spots: cost of living compared

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