Cost of Living Comparison Between Jessheim and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Jessheim and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,686 in Jessheim versus $2,237 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,940 in Jessheim versus $3,331 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,193 in Jessheim versus $4,425 in Arendal.

Living in Jessheim is roughly 20% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jessheim 101% above, Arendal 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 NOK 242

$17.94 NOK 173

40.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 NOK 783

$74.4 NOK 717

9.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 NOK 144

$14.88 NOK 143

0.67%

Cappuccino

$4.61 NOK 44.39

$5.08 NOK 48.93

-9.25%

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

$2.94 NOK 28.29

$3.21 NOK 30.96

-8.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 31.52

$3.07 NOK 29.57

6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.28 NOK 99.0

$11.20 NOK 108

-8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.68 NOK 83.6

$10.23 NOK 98.6

-15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.74

$2.33 NOK 22.44

-12.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 NOK 39.50

$3.06 NOK 29.51

33.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.81

$3.53 NOK 34.05

-38.81%

Eggs

$2.97 NOK 28.57

$4.37 NOK 42.05

-32.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$12.84 NOK 124

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 NOK 129

$15.79 NOK 152

-15.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.96 NOK 260

$27.39 NOK 264

-1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 NOK 22.49

$3.39 NOK 32.63

-31.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 20.15

$2.62 NOK 25.24

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.99

$3.08 NOK 29.68

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.82

$4.59 NOK 44.26

-21.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 NOK 18.37

$2.14 NOK 20.58

-10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 25.04

$2.99 NOK 28.80

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 NOK 23.31

$2.56 NOK 24.65

-5.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NOK 5.72

$1.76 NOK 16.96

-66.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 NOK 132

$15.33 NOK 148

-10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.46 NOK 168

$16.97 NOK 163

2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.96

$3.34 NOK 32.16

2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 40.22

$3.99 NOK 38.44

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.39 NOK 42.24

$3.83 NOK 36.93

14.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 NOK 850

$105 NOK 1,009

-15.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 NOK 97.3

$7.94 NOK 76.5

27.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.89

$2.10 NOK 20.18

-31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.68 NOK 411

$30.41 NOK 293

40.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.88

$2.05 NOK 19.78

5.85%

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

$36.2K NOK 348.5K

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

4.77%

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

$35.0K NOK 337.6K

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

8.15%

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

$301 NOK 2,902

$193 NOK 1,861

55.93%

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

$31.43 NOK 303

$35.70 NOK 344

-11.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 NOK 547

$73.7 NOK 710

-22.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.36 NOK 475

$44.57 NOK 429

10.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.11 NOK 338

$52.6 NOK 507

-33.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 NOK 173

$12.25 NOK 118

46.78%

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

$265 NOK 2,552

$308 NOK 2,964

-13.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K NOK 144.7K

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

50.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 994

$95.2 NOK 917

8.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.7 NOK 642

$58.8 NOK 566

13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,172

$104 NOK 1,002

17.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NOK 1,573

$162 NOK 1,559

0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 NOK 12.8K

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

23.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 NOK 10.8K

$718 NOK 6,913

55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 NOK 17.8K

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 NOK 16.5K

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

50.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,851 NOK 75.6K

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

156.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,741 NOK 36.0K

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

-7.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

3.6

41.11%

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

Last update for Jessheim: July 11, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,324 in Jessheim and $1,076 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Jessheim vs $74.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $413 vs $456, with Jessheim cheaper for home cooking.

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

Jessheim vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jessheim and Arendal differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,686 vs $2,237 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Arendal. 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: $1,324 in Jessheim versus $1,076 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Jessheim versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Jessheim pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,686 in Jessheim, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Jessheim. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal 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, Jessheim and Arendal 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 Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Jessheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.