Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Narvik Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Narvik

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,023 in Hilversum versus $2,553 in Narvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,397 in Hilversum versus $3,895 in Narvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,770 in Hilversum versus $5,236 in Narvik.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 18% more expensive than in Narvik, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 120% above, Narvik 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.19 €25.19

$31.56 NOK 294

-7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 €70.5

$96.3 NOK 897

-15.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.30 €14.93

$16.13 NOK 150

7.25%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €3.94

$4.92 NOK 45.87

-7.32%

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

$4.10 €3.54

$2.90 NOK 27.03

41.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.73

$3.00 NOK 28.00

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.91

$11.87 NOK 111

-52.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.95

$12.11 NOK 113

-52.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.60 NOK 24.24

-51.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.42 NOK 31.83

-30.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 €3.27

$2.74 NOK 25.48

38.32%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.53

$5.45 NOK 50.8

-3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 €11.35

$12.34 NOK 115

6.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.42 €15.03

$14.75 NOK 137

18.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.53 €15.13

$23.21 NOK 216

-24.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$3.94 NOK 36.70

-48.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.17 NOK 20.19

17.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$5.01 NOK 46.66

-62.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.89

$4.51 NOK 42.04

-25.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.56 NOK 23.81

-17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$4.78 NOK 44.51

-53.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.03

$3.11 NOK 28.96

-61.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.13 NOK 19.88

-46.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 €10.97

$16.80 NOK 157

-24.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 €6.03

$16.13 NOK 150

-56.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.32

$3.54 NOK 32.96

-56.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.34

$3.73 NOK 34.79

-27.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 €3.27

$4.83 NOK 44.97

-21.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.4 €60.7

$92.0 NOK 857

-23.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.11

$16.12 NOK 150

-63.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.48 €3.00

$2.19 NOK 20.37

58.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.79 €19.67

$54.4 NOK 507

-58.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.06

$2.21 NOK 20.59

7.69%

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

$42.2K €36.4K

$40.2K NOK 374.6K

5.05%

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

$44.8K €38.7K

$38.9K NOK 362.6K

15.11%

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

$275 €237

$269 NOK 2,506

2.25%

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

$30.03 €25.92

$51.8 NOK 482

-41.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.6 €56.6

$85.8 NOK 799

-23.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 €61.3

$57.2 NOK 533

24.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.35 €30.50

$26.49 NOK 247

33.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 €15.24

$17.69 NOK 165

-0.17%

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

$705 €608

$320 NOK 2,984

120.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$7,601 NOK 70.8K

114.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €99.9

$131 NOK 1,220

-11.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 €43.72

$35.26 NOK 329

43.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 €83.1

$140 NOK 1,304

-31.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €127

$166 NOK 1,543

-11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 €1,545

$954 NOK 8,891

87.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,311

$745 NOK 6,944

103.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 €2,585

$1,654 NOK 15.4K

81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,391 €2,063

$1,246 NOK 11.6K

91.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,166 €6,184

$5,249 NOK 48.9K

36.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,354 €4,620

$4,909 NOK 45.7K

9.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,196 €3,621

$3,631 NOK 33.8K

15.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.01

-14.17%

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

Last update for Hilversum: August 30, 2026

Last update for Narvik: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,790 in Hilversum and $954 in Narvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Hilversum vs $96.0 in Narvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $461 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 Narvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum and Narvik differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($3,023 vs $2,553 including rent). Narvik is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Hilversum, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,790 in Hilversum versus $954 in Narvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Narvik runs roughly 31% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $705 in Hilversum versus $320 in Narvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Narvik 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 Narvik 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 Narvik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.