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: $2,769 in Jessheim versus $2,218 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,027 in Jessheim versus $3,391 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,284 in Jessheim versus $4,563 in Arendal.

Living in Jessheim is roughly 25% more expensive than Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jessheim 107% above, Arendal 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.66 NOK 238

$17.87 NOK 166

43.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 NOK 742

$75.4 NOK 700

6.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.05 NOK 140

$14.93 NOK 139

0.80%

Cappuccino

$4.71 NOK 43.73

$5.17 NOK 48.00

-8.90%

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

$2.82 NOK 26.16

$3.18 NOK 29.50

-11.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.17

$3.06 NOK 28.47

6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.08 NOK 93.6

$11.16 NOK 104

-9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.69 NOK 80.8

$10.17 NOK 94.5

-14.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 NOK 18.93

$2.37 NOK 21.98

-13.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 37.46

$3.06 NOK 28.41

31.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 NOK 19.98

$3.59 NOK 33.39

-40.11%

Eggs

$3.01 NOK 28.00

$4.33 NOK 40.26

-30.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$13.22 NOK 123

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.77 NOK 128

$15.42 NOK 143

-10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.94 NOK 250

$27.81 NOK 258

-3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.54

$3.44 NOK 31.98

-32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 NOK 19.54

$2.52 NOK 23.40

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.53

$3.01 NOK 27.93

-8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 NOK 34.66

$4.75 NOK 44.13

-21.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 NOK 17.69

$2.12 NOK 19.74

-10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 23.88

$2.93 NOK 27.17

-12.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NOK 21.86

$2.52 NOK 23.45

-6.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 NOK 5.78

$1.78 NOK 16.52

-65.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 NOK 127

$14.98 NOK 139

-8.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.21 NOK 169

$18.12 NOK 168

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.90

$3.33 NOK 30.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 NOK 40.50

$4.02 NOK 37.37

8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 NOK 42.29

$3.83 NOK 35.57

18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.2 NOK 829

$103 NOK 957

-13.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.26 NOK 95.4

$7.88 NOK 73.2

30.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.57

$2.05 NOK 19.02

-28.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 392

$29.93 NOK 278

41.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.37

$2.10 NOK 19.55

-0.48%

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

$35.9K NOK 333.7K

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

4.02%

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

$34.9K NOK 324.4K

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

6.70%

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

$296 NOK 2,746

$187 NOK 1,734

58.37%

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

$30.66 NOK 285

$35.07 NOK 326

-12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 515

$73.6 NOK 683

-24.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.07 NOK 456

$43.98 NOK 409

11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.10 NOK 335

$53.8 NOK 499

-32.84%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 167

$11.98 NOK 111

50.33%

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

$271 NOK 2,514

$302 NOK 2,801

-10.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 137.5K

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

46.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 965

$95.5 NOK 887

8.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 NOK 610

$59.1 NOK 549

11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,142

$105 NOK 973

17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,523

$156 NOK 1,449

5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 NOK 12.2K

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

19.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.5K

$695 NOK 6,455

63.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,854 NOK 17.2K

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

50.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,453 NOK 78.5K

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

166.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,927 NOK 36.5K

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

-7.85%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Arendal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,314 in Jessheim and $1,100 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal 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 Jessheim vs $75.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $459, 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 25% in total monthly costs ($2,769 vs $2,218 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arendal earns 9% 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: $1,314 in Jessheim versus $1,100 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $271 in Jessheim versus $302 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Jessheim pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,769 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 25% less than in Jessheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.