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: $3,023 in Hilversum versus $2,777 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,397 in Hilversum versus $3,905 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,770 in Hilversum versus $5,034 in Arendal.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 9% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 120% above, Arendal 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.19 €25.19

$20.31 NOK 189

43.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 €70.5

$67.5 NOK 629

21.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.30 €14.93

$15.90 NOK 148

8.81%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €3.94

$5.55 NOK 51.7

-17.84%

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

$4.10 €3.54

$3.60 NOK 33.54

13.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.73

$3.41 NOK 31.80

-7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.91

$11.90 NOK 111

-52.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.95

$12.15 NOK 113

-52.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.40 NOK 22.33

-47.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.60 NOK 33.58

-33.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 €3.27

$3.95 NOK 36.78

-4.05%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.53

$5.04 NOK 46.95

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 €11.35

$14.87 NOK 139

-11.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.42 €15.03

$15.26 NOK 142

14.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.53 €15.13

$34.60 NOK 322

-49.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.61 NOK 33.60

-43.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.83 NOK 26.36

-9.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$3.64 NOK 33.90

-48.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.89

$4.95 NOK 46.14

-32.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.60 NOK 24.26

-19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$3.15 NOK 29.32

-29.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.03

$2.78 NOK 25.93

-57.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.35 NOK 21.85

-51.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 €10.97

$17.77 NOK 166

-28.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 €6.03

$14.84 NOK 138

-52.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.32

$3.85 NOK 35.86

-60.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.34

$4.43 NOK 41.27

-38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 €3.27

$3.81 NOK 35.49

-0.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.4 €60.7

$90.9 NOK 847

-22.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.40 NOK 59.6

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.00

$1.75 NOK 16.35

98.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.79 €19.67

$104 NOK 972

-78.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.06

$2.33 NOK 21.69

2.15%

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

$42.2K €36.4K

$48.4K NOK 450.8K

-12.71%

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

$44.8K €38.7K

$42.5K NOK 395.8K

5.45%

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

$275 €237

$251 NOK 2,337

9.62%

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

$30.03 €25.92

$35.15 NOK 327

-14.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.6 €56.6

$80.5 NOK 750

-18.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 €61.3

$37.73 NOK 352

88.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.35 €30.50

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 €15.24

$15.95 NOK 149

10.72%

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

$705 €608

$324 NOK 3,021

117.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$14.4K NOK 134.4K

13.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €99.9

$130 NOK 1,210

-10.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 €43.72

$44.60 NOK 416

13.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 €83.1

$129 NOK 1,206

-25.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €127

$205 NOK 1,912

-28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 €1,545

$1,141 NOK 10.6K

56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,311

$1,074 NOK 10.0K

41.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 €2,585

$1,623 NOK 15.1K

84.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,391 €2,063

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

60.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,166 €6,184

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,354 €4,620

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,196 €3,621

$4,115 NOK 38.3K

1.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

4.68

-8.12%

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

Last update for Hilversum: August 30, 2026

Last update for Arendal: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,790 in Hilversum and $1,141 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 2% 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: $82.0 in Hilversum vs $67.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $506, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($3,023 vs $2,777 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Hilversum, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,790 in Hilversum versus $1,141 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Hilversum versus $324 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,777 in Arendal versus $3,023 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 9% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.