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: $3,093 in Hilversum versus $2,367 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,525 in Hilversum versus $3,740 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,956 in Hilversum versus $5,114 in Hamar.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 31% more expensive than in Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 132% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.80 €25.16

$25.42 NOK 245

13.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.6

$122 NOK 1,177

-25.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.38

$15.05 NOK 145

9.37%

Cappuccino

$4.66 €4.07

$5.03 NOK 48.46

-7.36%

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

$3.72 €3.25

$4.00 NOK 38.56

-7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$3.21 NOK 30.91

-7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.20

$12.07 NOK 116

-50.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.44

$7.79 NOK 75.0

-34.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.09 NOK 20.17

-34.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.98 NOK 28.74

-23.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 €3.17

$1.97 NOK 19.02

84.26%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.30

$5.19 NOK 49.95

-5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 €11.33

$10.65 NOK 103

21.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.50 €15.29

$11.97 NOK 115

46.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.23

$31.54 NOK 304

-44.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$3.54 NOK 34.06

-45.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.23

$2.53 NOK 24.41

0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$3.02 NOK 29.10

-36.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.36

$5.00 NOK 48.14

-23.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.48 NOK 23.93

-15.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.42 NOK 23.28

-11.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.98 NOK 19.08

-38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.87 NOK 17.98

-51.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.97 €10.46

$17.37 NOK 167

-31.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 €5.89

$18.33 NOK 177

-63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.36 NOK 32.41

-54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.40

$4.36 NOK 42.03

-37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 €4.03

$4.33 NOK 41.71

6.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 €86.5

$64.6 NOK 623

53.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 €5.16

$10.25 NOK 98.7

-42.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.39 NOK 13.42

53.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.56 €24.95

$42.23 NOK 407

-32.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.18 NOK 20.96

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

$40.5K €35.4K

$36.8K NOK 354.5K

9.96%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$42.5K NOK 409.8K

-8.34%

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

$266 €233

$218 NOK 2,105

21.84%

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

$29.39 €25.68

$30.79 NOK 297

-4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 €50.7

$55.7 NOK 536

4.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 €61.2

$56.3 NOK 542

24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.20 €36.00

$28.56 NOK 275

44.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 €15.43

$18.24 NOK 176

-3.18%

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

$679 €593

$205 NOK 1,977

230.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,585 €6,627

$15.0K NOK 144.9K

-49.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €111

$102 NOK 984

24.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 €53.3

$60.5 NOK 582

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 €117

$125 NOK 1,205

6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 €159

$100 NOK 967

80.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 €1,539

$1,193 NOK 11.5K

47.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,300

$844 NOK 8,132

76.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,011 €2,631

$1,511 NOK 14.6K

99.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 €2,130

$1,432 NOK 13.8K

70.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 €6,096

$4,159 NOK 40.1K

67.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,378 €4,699

$3,337 NOK 32.1K

61.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,721 €3,251

$4,134 NOK 39.8K

-9.98%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hamar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,762 in Hilversum and $1,193 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 11% 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 $354 vs $441 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 31% in total monthly costs ($3,093 vs $2,367 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $1,762 in Hilversum versus $1,193 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hilversum pay roughly 24% 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.

At $2,367 in Hamar versus $3,093 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 31% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.