Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Hamar Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Hamar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,023 in Hilversum versus $2,460 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,397 in Hilversum versus $3,874 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,770 in Hilversum versus $5,289 in Hamar.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 23% more expensive than in Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 120% above, Hamar 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.19 €25.19

$21.66 NOK 202

34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 €70.5

$131 NOK 1,220

-37.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.30 €14.93

$16.08 NOK 150

7.59%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €3.94

$6.19 NOK 57.7

-26.33%

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

$4.10 €3.54

$4.19 NOK 39.08

-2.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.73

$3.42 NOK 31.87

-7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.91

$11.63 NOK 108

-51.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.95

$8.60 NOK 80.1

-33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.66 NOK 24.83

-52.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.16 NOK 29.44

-24.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 €3.27

$2.10 NOK 19.56

80.48%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.53

$6.24 NOK 58.2

-15.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 €11.35

$10.98 NOK 102

19.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.42 €15.03

$12.83 NOK 120

35.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.53 €15.13

$30.56 NOK 285

-42.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.46 NOK 32.21

-41.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.68 NOK 24.98

-4.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$3.07 NOK 28.59

-39.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.89

$6.14 NOK 57.2

-45.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.52 NOK 23.44

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.50 NOK 23.27

-11.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.03

$2.17 NOK 20.20

-45.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.06 NOK 19.20

-44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 €10.97

$19.48 NOK 182

-34.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 €6.03

$16.75 NOK 156

-58.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.32

$3.60 NOK 33.50

-57.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.34

$4.27 NOK 39.75

-36.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 €3.27

$4.73 NOK 44.09

-19.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.4 €60.7

$68.7 NOK 640

2.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.11

$12.05 NOK 112

-50.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.00

$1.86 NOK 17.32

87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.79 €19.67

$70.2 NOK 654

-67.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.06

$2.36 NOK 21.97

0.85%

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

$42.2K €36.4K

$50.2K NOK 467.3K

-15.79%

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

$44.8K €38.7K

$45.8K NOK 426.6K

-2.15%

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

$275 €237

$227 NOK 2,112

21.31%

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

$30.03 €25.92

$32.97 NOK 307

-8.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.6 €56.6

$56.9 NOK 530

15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 €61.3

$59.4 NOK 554

19.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.35 €30.50

$29.45 NOK 274

20.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 €15.24

$19.36 NOK 180

-8.78%

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

$705 €608

$215 NOK 2,003

227.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$16.1K NOK 149.8K

1.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €99.9

$103 NOK 960

12.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 €43.72

$62.1 NOK 578

-18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 €83.1

$136 NOK 1,264

-29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €127

$105 NOK 983

39.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 €1,545

$1,235 NOK 11.5K

45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,311

$889 NOK 8,282

70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 €2,585

$1,579 NOK 14.7K

89.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,391 €2,063

$1,507 NOK 14.0K

58.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,166 €6,184

$4,382 NOK 40.8K

63.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,354 €4,620

$3,516 NOK 32.8K

52.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,196 €3,621

$4,323 NOK 40.3K

-2.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

4.96

-13.31%

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

Last update for Hilversum: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hamar: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,790 in Hilversum and $1,235 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Hilversum vs $131 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $463 per month, with Hilversum 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

Hilversum vs Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum and Hamar differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($3,023 vs $2,460 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Hamar. 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: $1,790 in Hilversum versus $1,235 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Hamar – a meal for two runs $131 versus $82.0 in Hilversum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,460 in Hamar versus $3,023 in Hilversum, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar 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 Hamar 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 Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.