Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Harstad versus $3,141 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $4,597 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $6,053 in Oslo.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 23% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 81% above, Oslo 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$25.53 NOK 241

-46.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$123 NOK 1,158

-2.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$15.15 NOK 143

1.19%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$4.86 NOK 45.98

24.49%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$4.08 NOK 38.62

-15.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$3.19 NOK 30.17

-6.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$12.02 NOK 114

-6.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$11.22 NOK 106

0.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$2.39 NOK 22.63

-2.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$4.09 NOK 38.65

-22.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$3.66 NOK 34.62

-18.03%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$5.03 NOK 47.59

-16.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$13.46 NOK 127

-21.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$16.04 NOK 152

-6.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$30.76 NOK 291

20.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$3.49 NOK 33.04

16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$2.63 NOK 24.84

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$3.35 NOK 31.71

3.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$5.16 NOK 48.80

-9.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$2.43 NOK 22.97

-18.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$2.71 NOK 25.65

-26.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$2.85 NOK 26.95

-2.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$2.34 NOK 22.11

-23.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$17.19 NOK 163

-11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$18.93 NOK 179

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$3.35 NOK 31.67

6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$4.38 NOK 41.38

2.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$4.31 NOK 40.70

38.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$77.9 NOK 736

4.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$10.04 NOK 95.0

24.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$1.38 NOK 13.09

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$42.24 NOK 399

21.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$2.18 NOK 20.60

-3.21%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$36.5K NOK 344.8K

-7.81%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$42.7K NOK 403.5K

-27.72%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$304 NOK 2,870

-47.42%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$31.63 NOK 299

4.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$57.0 NOK 539

35.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$57.8 NOK 546

-14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$28.64 NOK 271

25.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$18.01 NOK 170

-5.66%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$274 NOK 2,588

20.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$14.5K NOK 137.5K

-64.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$106 NOK 1,000

-26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$65.4 NOK 618

-48.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$124 NOK 1,172

-5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$168 NOK 1,592

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$1,671 NOK 15.8K

-20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$1,446 NOK 13.7K

-30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$2,749 NOK 26.0K

-19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$2,165 NOK 20.5K

-30.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$12.0K NOK 113.6K

-50.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$7,295 NOK 69.0K

-37.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$4,411 NOK 41.7K

-18.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

5.08

-15.94%

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

Last update for Harstad: May 31, 2026

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $1,671 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 23% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $122 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $500 per month, with Harstad 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

Harstad vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Oslo earns 23% 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $1,671 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Harstad – a meal for two runs $119 versus $122 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,422 in Harstad versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Harstad but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Harstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harstad 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 Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.