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: $3,093 in Hilversum versus $2,237 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,525 in Hilversum versus $3,331 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,956 in Hilversum versus $4,425 in Arendal.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 38% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 132% above, Arendal 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.80 €25.16

$17.94 NOK 173

60.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.6

$74.4 NOK 717

22.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.38

$14.88 NOK 143

10.62%

Cappuccino

$4.66 €4.07

$5.08 NOK 48.93

-8.27%

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

$3.72 €3.25

$3.21 NOK 30.96

15.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$3.07 NOK 29.57

-3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.20

$11.20 NOK 108

-46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.44

$10.23 NOK 98.6

-50.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.33 NOK 22.44

-41.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.00

$3.06 NOK 29.51

-25.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 €3.17

$3.53 NOK 34.05

2.83%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.30

$4.37 NOK 42.05

12.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 €11.33

$12.84 NOK 124

1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.50 €15.29

$15.79 NOK 152

10.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.23

$27.39 NOK 264

-36.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$3.39 NOK 32.63

-43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.23

$2.62 NOK 25.24

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$3.08 NOK 29.68

-37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.36

$4.59 NOK 44.26

-16.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.14 NOK 20.58

-2.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.99 NOK 28.80

-28.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.06

$2.56 NOK 24.65

-52.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.76 NOK 16.96

-48.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.97 €10.46

$15.33 NOK 148

-21.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 €5.89

$16.97 NOK 163

-60.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.34 NOK 32.16

-53.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.40

$3.99 NOK 38.44

-31.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 €4.03

$3.83 NOK 36.93

20.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 €86.5

$105 NOK 1,009

-5.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 €5.16

$7.94 NOK 76.5

-25.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.10 NOK 20.18

1.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.56 €24.95

$30.41 NOK 293

-6.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.05 NOK 19.78

6.34%

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

$40.5K €35.4K

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

17.21%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

20.33%

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

$266 €233

$193 NOK 1,861

37.75%

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

$29.39 €25.68

$35.70 NOK 344

-17.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 €50.7

$73.7 NOK 710

-21.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 €61.2

$44.57 NOK 429

57.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.20 €36.00

$52.6 NOK 507

-21.69%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 €15.43

$12.25 NOK 118

44.16%

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

$679 €593

$308 NOK 2,964

120.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,585 €6,627

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

-24.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €111

$95.2 NOK 917

33.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 €53.3

$58.8 NOK 566

3.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 €117

$104 NOK 1,002

28.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 €159

$162 NOK 1,559

12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 €1,539

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

63.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,300

$718 NOK 6,913

107.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,011 €2,631

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

129.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 €2,130

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

113.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 €6,096

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

128.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,378 €4,699

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

160.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,721 €3,251

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

-8.11%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,762 in Hilversum and $1,076 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 9% 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 $74.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $456, 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 38% in total monthly costs ($3,093 vs $2,237 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Arendal. 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: $1,762 in Hilversum versus $1,076 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $679 in Hilversum versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $3,093 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 38% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.