Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Hamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamar: $2,380 a month against $2,920 in Hilversum, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hilversum outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Hilversum
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,920
/mo nomad
Hamar
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,380
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilversum and in Hamar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hilversum and in Hamar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,920 in Hilversum versus $2,380 in Hamar.

  • Hilversum $2,920
  • Hamar $2,380

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,236 in Hilversum versus $3,750 in Hamar.

  • Hilversum $4,236
  • Hamar $3,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Hilversum versus $5,120 in Hamar.

  • Hilversum $5,553
  • Hamar $5,120

Living in Hilversum is roughly 23% more expensive than in Hamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 116% above, Hamar 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.73 €24.67
$21.18 NOK 199
30.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €70.7
$125 NOK 1,180
-36.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.70 €14.85
$15.83 NOK 149
5.50%
Cappuccino
$4.30 €3.82
$5.76 NOK 54.2
-25.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 €3.49
$4.21 NOK 39.63
-6.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.65
$3.28 NOK 30.85
-9.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.53 €4.92
$11.49 NOK 108
-51.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 €4.92
$8.07 NOK 76.0
-31.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 €1.61
$2.50 NOK 23.53
-27.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 €2.11
$2.93 NOK 27.57
-19.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.47 €3.09
$2.06 NOK 19.36
68.45%
Eggs
$5.27 €4.69
$5.76 NOK 54.3
-8.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.30 €12.72
$11.05 NOK 104
29.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.89 €12.35
$12.20 NOK 115
13.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.46 €14.64
$31.42 NOK 296
-47.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$3.21 NOK 30.26
-21.18%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 €2.38
$2.57 NOK 24.17
4.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.71 €2.41
$3.05 NOK 28.74
-11.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.21 €4.63
$5.89 NOK 55.5
-11.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.48 NOK 23.34
-23.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 €1.98
$2.44 NOK 22.95
-8.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.12 NOK 19.97
-30.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.99 NOK 18.74
-42.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.60 €11.21
$18.94 NOK 178
-33.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.83 €6.07
$16.40 NOK 154
-58.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.31
$3.38 NOK 31.78
-56.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 €2.42
$4.18 NOK 39.37
-34.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.62 €3.22
$4.66 NOK 43.87
-22.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.0 €58.7
$67.5 NOK 635
-2.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.50 €4.89
$11.92 NOK 112
-53.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.44 €3.06
$1.78 NOK 16.76
93.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.12 €19.67
$69.5 NOK 654
-68.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.39 €2.13
$2.37 NOK 22.32
0.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.8K €37.2K
$47.8K NOK 449.5K
-12.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.6K €37.9K
$43.6K NOK 410.2K
-2.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$265 €236
$223 NOK 2,104
18.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.28 €25.15
$33.07 NOK 311
-14.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.2 €56.2
$54.1 NOK 509
16.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.0 €60.5
$58.2 NOK 548
16.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.61 €29.89
$29.40 NOK 277
14.32%
Cinema Ticket
$16.73 €14.88
$19.79 NOK 186
-15.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$678 €603
$207 NOK 1,948
227.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K €13.9K
$15.8K NOK 148.3K
-0.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 €100
$102 NOK 959
10.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.90 €42.60
$59.5 NOK 560
-19.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.3 €80.4
$131 NOK 1,230
-30.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €126
$104 NOK 977
36.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,683 €1,497
$1,227 NOK 11.6K
37.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,432 €1,274
$847 NOK 7,973
69.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,924 €2,601
$1,578 NOK 14.9K
85.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,281 €2,029
$1,489 NOK 14.0K
53.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,800 €6,049
$4,302 NOK 40.5K
58.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,225 €4,648
$3,421 NOK 32.2K
52.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hilversum
Hamar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,910 €3,478
$4,269 NOK 40.2K
-8.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.3
4.94
-12.96%

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

Last update for Hilversum: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hamar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hilversum
$1.4K
Hamar
$847 40.9% $585
Eating Out
Hilversum
$390
Hamar
$390 0.1% $0.3
Groceries & Markets
Hilversum
$360
Hamar
$450 24.8% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hilversum
$356
Hamar
$311 12.8% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Hilversum
$177
Hamar
$178 0.9% $1.5
Getting Around
Hilversum
$103
Hamar
$107 3.6% $3.7
Sport & Entertainment
Hilversum
$101
Hamar
$98 3.6% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,683 in Hilversum and $1,227 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar 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: $80.0 in Hilversum vs $125 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $450 per month, with Hilversum cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Hilversum
🇳🇴 Hamar
🕒 Local time
00:06 12:06 AM
00:06 12:06 AM
Same time as Hilversum
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,345
33,059
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hilversum Hamar 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hilversum
  • Hamar

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Hilversum and in Hamar?
Hilversum and Hamar differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,920 vs $2,380 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 9% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Hilversum and in Hamar?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,683 in Hilversum versus $1,227 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Hamar – a meal for two runs $125 versus $80.0 in Hilversum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Hilversum and Hamar?
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.
Is Hilversum or Hamar safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Hilversum or Hamar?
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.

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