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: $2,485 in Harstad versus $3,200 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Harstad versus $4,586 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Harstad versus $5,972 in Oslo.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 22% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 85% above, Oslo 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 NOK 125

$25.54 NOK 238

-47.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,145

$120 NOK 1,118

2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 NOK 140

$15.36 NOK 143

-1.63%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 55.7

$5.05 NOK 46.98

18.61%

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

$3.44 NOK 31.99

$4.02 NOK 37.34

-14.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.55

$3.29 NOK 30.59

-6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$12.26 NOK 114

-9.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.20 NOK 104

$10.98 NOK 102

2.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.67

$2.40 NOK 22.30

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 NOK 29.38

$4.11 NOK 38.21

-23.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.84

$3.49 NOK 32.42

-11.17%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$5.17 NOK 48.05

-17.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 98.2

$13.55 NOK 126

-22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 NOK 141

$16.39 NOK 152

-7.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.04 NOK 354

$31.41 NOK 292

21.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$3.54 NOK 32.90

9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$2.50 NOK 23.23

10.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.72

$3.45 NOK 32.11

2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.16

$4.95 NOK 46.01

-6.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.54

$2.47 NOK 22.98

-19.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.10

$2.62 NOK 24.36

-21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$2.85 NOK 26.47

-5.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.40

$2.40 NOK 22.28

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.25 NOK 142

$17.01 NOK 158

-10.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$18.81 NOK 175

-13.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.66

$3.47 NOK 32.31

4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.14

$4.33 NOK 40.30

4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.03 NOK 56.1

$4.20 NOK 39.02

43.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 737

$77.8 NOK 724

1.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$10.20 NOK 94.9

25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.41

$1.38 NOK 12.82

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 NOK 470

$42.32 NOK 394

19.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$2.24 NOK 20.84

-4.91%

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

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

$36.1K NOK 335.5K

-7.03%

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

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

$42.8K NOK 397.7K

-29.01%

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

$159 NOK 1,480

$296 NOK 2,748

-46.14%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$31.62 NOK 294

5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 714

$56.2 NOK 522

36.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 NOK 451

$55.8 NOK 519

-13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$28.63 NOK 266

23.86%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 NOK 155

$17.98 NOK 167

-7.40%

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

$336 NOK 3,125

$269 NOK 2,503

24.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

$14.6K NOK 135.8K

-65.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 718

$102 NOK 947

-24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 304

$66.0 NOK 613

-50.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,089

$124 NOK 1,157

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,260

$162 NOK 1,511

-16.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

$1,727 NOK 16.1K

-22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,498

$1,458 NOK 13.6K

-29.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

$2,710 NOK 25.2K

-18.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

$2,172 NOK 20.2K

-33.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

$11.3K NOK 105.1K

-47.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

$7,682 NOK 71.4K

-39.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

$4,467 NOK 41.5K

-20.25%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Oslo: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Harstad and $1,727 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 25% 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 Harstad vs $120 in Oslo. Groceries flip the comparison at $481 vs $504, with Harstad 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

Harstad vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Oslo earns 25% 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: $1,331 in Harstad versus $1,727 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 $123 versus $120 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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 29% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.