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: $2,485 in Harstad versus $2,769 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Harstad versus $4,199 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Harstad versus $5,628 in Trondheim.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 10% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 85% above, Trondheim 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 NOK 125

$22.24 NOK 207

-39.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,145

$120 NOK 1,120

2.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 NOK 140

$14.02 NOK 130

7.77%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 55.7

$4.76 NOK 44.30

25.84%

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

$3.44 NOK 31.99

$3.62 NOK 33.68

-4.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.55

$3.00 NOK 27.86

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$10.48 NOK 97.5

6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.20 NOK 104

$11.60 NOK 108

-3.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.67

$2.52 NOK 23.44

-7.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 NOK 29.38

$3.46 NOK 32.19

-8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.84

$3.86 NOK 35.89

-19.69%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$4.45 NOK 41.37

-3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 98.2

$12.26 NOK 114

-13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 NOK 141

$15.12 NOK 141

0.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.04 NOK 354

$28.16 NOK 262

35.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$3.90 NOK 36.27

-0.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$2.86 NOK 26.62

-3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.72

$2.63 NOK 24.44

33.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.16

$5.28 NOK 49.08

-12.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.54

$3.02 NOK 28.12

-34.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.10

$3.35 NOK 31.13

-38.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$3.14 NOK 29.23

-14.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.40

$2.52 NOK 23.43

-30.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.25 NOK 142

$15.30 NOK 142

-0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$18.44 NOK 172

-11.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.66

$3.70 NOK 34.38

-2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.14

$4.70 NOK 43.74

-3.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.03 NOK 56.1

$4.60 NOK 42.76

31.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 737

$94.2 NOK 876

-15.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$15.28 NOK 142

-16.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.41

$2.25 NOK 20.94

-36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 NOK 470

$89.5 NOK 832

-43.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$2.16 NOK 20.13

-1.39%

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

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

$31.6K NOK 294.2K

6.02%

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

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

$42.2K NOK 392.6K

-28.10%

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

$159 NOK 1,480

$323 NOK 3,000

-50.66%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$42.66 NOK 397

-21.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 714

$74.3 NOK 691

3.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 NOK 451

$41.93 NOK 390

15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$46.26 NOK 430

-23.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 NOK 155

$17.54 NOK 163

-5.07%

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

$336 NOK 3,125

$328 NOK 3,054

2.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

$8,586 NOK 79.9K

-41.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 718

$110 NOK 1,023

-29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 304

$47.72 NOK 444

-31.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,089

$126 NOK 1,170

-6.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,260

$132 NOK 1,230

2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

$1,377 NOK 12.8K

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,498

$1,077 NOK 10.0K

-5.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

$2,227 NOK 20.7K

-1.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

$1,686 NOK 15.7K

-14.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

$6,271 NOK 58.3K

-4.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

$4,863 NOK 45.2K

-4.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

$4,445 NOK 41.3K

-19.86%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Harstad and $1,377 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim 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 Trondheim. Groceries flip the comparison at $481 vs $487, 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 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trondheim 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 $1,377 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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 $123 versus $120 in Trondheim. 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 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 11% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.