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: $3,038 in Hilversum versus $2,394 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,445 in Hilversum versus $3,748 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,852 in Hilversum versus $5,101 in Hamar.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 27% more expensive than Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 127% above, Hamar 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.65 €24.64

$25.68 NOK 239

11.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 €78.2

$122 NOK 1,137

-25.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.48 €14.18

$14.88 NOK 138

10.75%

Cappuccino

$4.46 €3.83

$5.05 NOK 46.92

-11.68%

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

$3.90 €3.35

$4.20 NOK 39.02

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.65

$3.31 NOK 30.73

-6.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$12.12 NOK 113

-51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.38

$7.77 NOK 72.2

-34.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.14 NOK 19.89

-36.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.89

$2.93 NOK 27.25

-24.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.25

$1.97 NOK 18.32

91.88%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.22

$5.01 NOK 46.57

-2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 €11.15

$10.65 NOK 99.0

21.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.37 €14.94

$11.98 NOK 111

44.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 €14.84

$31.80 NOK 295

-45.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$3.55 NOK 33.02

-46.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.64 NOK 24.52

-3.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.90 NOK 26.90

-35.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.24

$4.91 NOK 45.59

-23.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.45 NOK 22.73

-13.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.50 NOK 23.25

-10.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.07 NOK 19.25

-43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.87 NOK 17.33

-51.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 €10.64

$17.15 NOK 159

-27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.03

$19.58 NOK 182

-64.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$3.36 NOK 31.20

-53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.44

$4.35 NOK 40.44

-34.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 €4.03

$4.40 NOK 40.84

6.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 €82.4

$63.7 NOK 592

50.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.88

$10.25 NOK 95.2

-44.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.39 NOK 12.96

46.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 €25.36

$42.57 NOK 395

-30.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.19 NOK 20.35

5.02%

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

$40.9K €35.2K

$36.8K NOK 341.5K

11.20%

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

$40.5K €34.8K

$43.1K NOK 400.4K

-6.01%

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

$265 €228

$221 NOK 2,056

19.60%

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

$30.38 €26.13

$31.40 NOK 292

-3.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 €50.2

$55.5 NOK 516

5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 €60.6

$56.6 NOK 526

24.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.69 €35.86

$27.82 NOK 258

49.86%

Cinema Ticket

$17.20 €14.79

$18.24 NOK 169

-5.70%

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

$663 €570

$205 NOK 1,909

222.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,633 €6,566

$15.0K NOK 139.5K

-49.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €109

$106 NOK 982

19.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €52.2

$61.6 NOK 573

-1.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 €113

$124 NOK 1,149

6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 €158

$103 NOK 959

78.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 €1,490

$1,170 NOK 10.9K

48.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 €1,318

$826 NOK 7,678

85.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 €2,604

$1,527 NOK 14.2K

98.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 €2,060

$1,451 NOK 13.5K

65.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,097 €6,105

$4,390 NOK 40.8K

61.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,465 €4,701

$3,502 NOK 32.5K

56.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,837 €3,301

$4,428 NOK 41.1K

-13.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.08

-11.42%

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

Last update for Hilversum: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hamar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Hilversum and $1,170 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 15% 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 $122 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $443 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 27% in total monthly costs ($3,038 vs $2,394 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamar earns 15% 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 $1,170 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 26% 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 $122 versus $91.0 in Hilversum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hamar is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 27% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.