Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,038 in Hilversum versus $2,218 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,445 in Hilversum versus $3,391 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,852 in Hilversum versus $4,563 in Arendal.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 37% more expensive than Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 127% above, Arendal 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.65 €24.64

$17.87 NOK 166

60.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 €78.2

$75.4 NOK 700

20.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.48 €14.18

$14.93 NOK 139

10.38%

Cappuccino

$4.46 €3.83

$5.17 NOK 48.00

-13.73%

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

$3.90 €3.35

$3.18 NOK 29.50

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.65

$3.06 NOK 28.47

0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$11.16 NOK 104

-47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.38

$10.17 NOK 94.5

-49.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.37 NOK 21.98

-43.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.89

$3.06 NOK 28.41

-28.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.25

$3.59 NOK 33.39

5.29%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.22

$4.33 NOK 40.26

13.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 €11.15

$13.22 NOK 123

-1.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.37 €14.94

$15.42 NOK 143

12.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 €14.84

$27.81 NOK 258

-37.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$3.44 NOK 31.98

-45.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.52 NOK 23.40

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.01 NOK 27.93

-38.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.24

$4.75 NOK 44.13

-20.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.12 NOK 19.74

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.93 NOK 27.17

-23.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.52 NOK 23.45

-53.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.78 NOK 16.52

-48.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 €10.64

$14.98 NOK 139

-17.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.03

$18.12 NOK 168

-61.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$3.33 NOK 30.92

-53.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.44

$4.02 NOK 37.37

-29.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 €4.03

$3.83 NOK 35.57

22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 €82.4

$103 NOK 957

-7.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.88

$7.88 NOK 73.2

-28.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.05 NOK 19.02

-0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 €25.36

$29.93 NOK 278

-1.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.10 NOK 19.55

9.52%

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

$40.9K €35.2K

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

18.39%

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

$40.5K €34.8K

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

23.76%

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

$265 €228

$187 NOK 1,734

41.77%

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

$30.38 €26.13

$35.07 NOK 326

-13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 €50.2

$73.6 NOK 683

-20.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 €60.6

$43.98 NOK 409

60.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.69 €35.86

$53.8 NOK 499

-22.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.20 €14.79

$11.98 NOK 111

43.57%

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

$663 €570

$302 NOK 2,801

119.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,633 €6,566

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

-24.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €109

$95.5 NOK 887

32.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €52.2

$59.1 NOK 549

2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 €113

$105 NOK 973

25.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 €158

$156 NOK 1,449

18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 €1,490

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

57.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 €1,318

$695 NOK 6,455

120.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 €2,604

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

133.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 €2,060

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

109.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,097 €6,105

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

123.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,465 €4,701

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

151.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,837 €3,301

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

-9.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.6

25.00%

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

Last update for Hilversum: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arendal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Hilversum and $1,100 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Hilversum vs $75.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $459, with Hilversum 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

Hilversum vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum and Arendal differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($3,038 vs $2,218 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arendal earns 11% 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: $1,732 in Hilversum versus $1,100 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $663 in Hilversum versus $302 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,218 in Arendal versus $3,038 in Hilversum, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hilversum and Arendal 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 Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.