Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Trondheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Trondheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,748 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $4,158 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $5,569 in Trondheim.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 12% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 81% above, Trondheim 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$22.17 NOK 210

-38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$122 NOK 1,157

-2.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$14.43 NOK 136

6.24%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$4.84 NOK 45.79

25.00%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$3.58 NOK 33.88

-3.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$2.91 NOK 27.49

2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$10.67 NOK 101

5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$11.42 NOK 108

-0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$2.60 NOK 24.62

-10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$3.50 NOK 33.06

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$3.84 NOK 36.33

-21.87%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$4.43 NOK 41.88

-5.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$12.20 NOK 115

-13.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$14.90 NOK 141

0.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$28.82 NOK 272

28.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$3.85 NOK 36.44

5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$2.95 NOK 27.85

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$2.64 NOK 24.92

31.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$5.18 NOK 48.95

-9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$2.89 NOK 27.35

-31.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$3.28 NOK 31.02

-39.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$3.17 NOK 29.93

-12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$2.39 NOK 22.58

-25.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$15.01 NOK 142

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$18.82 NOK 178

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$3.84 NOK 36.28

-7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$4.67 NOK 44.13

-3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$4.65 NOK 43.96

27.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$91.3 NOK 863

-10.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$15.44 NOK 146

-19.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$2.28 NOK 21.52

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$87.6 NOK 828

-41.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$2.17 NOK 20.50

-2.76%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$32.0K NOK 302.5K

5.07%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$41.8K NOK 395.0K

-26.18%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$317 NOK 3,000

-49.70%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$43.17 NOK 408

-23.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$75.4 NOK 712

2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$42.29 NOK 400

17.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$46.17 NOK 436

-21.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$17.30 NOK 164

-1.79%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$326 NOK 3,084

0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$8,458 NOK 80.0K

-39.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$113 NOK 1,070

-31.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$48.03 NOK 454

-30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$130 NOK 1,227

-9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$132 NOK 1,251

1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$1,407 NOK 13.3K

-5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$1,080 NOK 10.2K

-7.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$2,208 NOK 20.9K

0.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$1,702 NOK 16.1K

-12.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$6,371 NOK 60.2K

-5.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$5,083 NOK 48.1K

-10.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$4,336 NOK 41.0K

-17.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

4.32

-1.16%

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

Last update for Harstad: May 31, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $1,407 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 21% 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 Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $488 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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trondheim earns 21% 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 $1,407 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,748 in Trondheim, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Harstad but tight or insufficient in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harstad and Trondheim 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 13% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.