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: $2,955 in Jessheim versus $2,777 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,181 in Jessheim versus $3,905 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,407 in Jessheim versus $5,034 in Arendal.

Living in Jessheim is roughly 6% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jessheim 115% above, Arendal 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.33 NOK 199

$20.31 NOK 189

5.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 NOK 753

$67.5 NOK 628

20.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.23 NOK 151

$15.90 NOK 148

2.08%

Cappuccino

$5.87 NOK 54.6

$5.55 NOK 51.6

5.77%

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

$3.96 NOK 36.87

$3.60 NOK 33.50

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NOK 28.41

$3.41 NOK 31.77

-10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.87 NOK 101

$11.90 NOK 111

-8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.97 NOK 121

$12.15 NOK 113

6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 NOK 23.54

$2.40 NOK 22.30

5.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 NOK 39.51

$3.60 NOK 33.54

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.19

$3.95 NOK 36.74

-31.39%

Eggs

$3.75 NOK 34.92

$5.04 NOK 46.90

-25.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 NOK 141

$14.87 NOK 138

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.79 NOK 147

$15.26 NOK 142

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.38 NOK 283

$34.60 NOK 322

-12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$3.61 NOK 33.56

-4.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 25.38

$2.83 NOK 26.33

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 NOK 32.63

$3.64 NOK 33.86

-3.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.75

$4.95 NOK 46.09

-11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.49

$2.60 NOK 24.23

1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.78

$3.15 NOK 29.29

-8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 NOK 28.91

$2.78 NOK 25.90

11.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.44

$2.35 NOK 21.83

2.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.54 NOK 182

$17.77 NOK 165

9.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.83 NOK 157

$14.84 NOK 138

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.70

$3.85 NOK 35.82

-5.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NOK 39.68

$4.43 NOK 41.22

-3.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 NOK 43.09

$3.81 NOK 35.45

21.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 NOK 940

$90.9 NOK 846

11.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 NOK 113

$6.40 NOK 59.6

89.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NOK 17.22

$1.75 NOK 16.33

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 675

$104 NOK 971

-30.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.20

$2.33 NOK 21.66

-2.15%

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

$48.8K NOK 454.4K

$48.4K NOK 450.3K

0.91%

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

$41.4K NOK 385.1K

$42.5K NOK 395.4K

-2.59%

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

$428 NOK 3,987

$251 NOK 2,334

70.79%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$35.15 NOK 327

-4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 NOK 544

$80.5 NOK 749

-27.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NOK 351

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 NOK 153

$15.95 NOK 148

3.20%

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

$246 NOK 2,289

$324 NOK 3,017

-24.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K NOK 145.2K

$14.4K NOK 134.2K

8.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 967

$130 NOK 1,209

-19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 565

$44.60 NOK 415

36.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 NOK 1,206

$129 NOK 1,205

0.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NOK 1,517

$205 NOK 1,909

-20.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 NOK 12.9K

$1,141 NOK 10.6K

21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 NOK 10.6K

$1,074 NOK 9,993

5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 NOK 18.3K

$1,623 NOK 15.1K

20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 NOK 16.5K

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

18.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,515 NOK 79.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,886 NOK 36.2K

$4,115 NOK 38.3K

-5.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

4.68

5.98%

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

Last update for Jessheim: August 31, 2026

Last update for Arendal: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,386 in Jessheim and $1,141 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 6% 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 $67.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $494 vs $506, 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,955 vs $2,777 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $1,386 in Jessheim versus $1,141 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $246 in Jessheim versus $324 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Jessheim pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,777 in Arendal versus $2,955 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 6% less than in Jessheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.