Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Tromso Cost of Living Comparison Between Kahului, HI and Tromso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,899 in Kahului, HI versus $3,167 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,657 in Kahului, HI versus $4,757 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,415 in Kahului, HI versus $6,347 in Tromso.

Living in Kahului, HI is roughly 23% more expensive than in Tromso, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kahului, HI 184% above, Tromso 130% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$48.67 $48.67

$35.46 NOK 330

37.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$106 NOK 990

-30.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.76 $18.76

$16.00 NOK 149

17.25%

Cappuccino

$7.09 $7.09

$6.85 NOK 63.9

3.50%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$4.80 NOK 44.68

-40.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.78 NOK 35.19

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$13.00 NOK 121

-62.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$13.99 NOK 130

-47.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.49 NOK 23.17

-42.17%

White Bread (500g)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.38 NOK 31.46

105.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$3.91 NOK 36.42

128.64%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$5.18 NOK 48.25

25.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 $8.84

$11.98 NOK 112

-26.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.56 $15.56

$14.78 NOK 138

5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 $20.06

$42.37 NOK 395

-52.66%

Apples (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$4.21 NOK 39.27

206.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.04 NOK 28.29

-7.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 51.7

Tomato (1kg)

$13.80 $13.80

$6.18 NOK 57.6

123.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.86

Onion (1kg)

$4.81 NOK 44.83

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.36 NOK 152

Wine (Bottle)

$16.27 NOK 152

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 NOK 37.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.87 NOK 45.36

26.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$5.02 NOK 46.75

-59.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.48 $45.48

$68.5 NOK 638

-33.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 NOK 149

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 NOK 19.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.47 $35.47

$57.3 NOK 533

-38.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.24 NOK 20.83

-42.41%

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

$39.4K $39.4K

$48.9K NOK 455.7K

-19.50%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$45.1K NOK 420.3K

-42.10%

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

$287 $287

$261 NOK 2,429

9.94%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$50.3 NOK 468

36.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 $52.7

$84.9 NOK 791

-37.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 NOK 480

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.67 NOK 453

Cinema Ticket

$17.57 NOK 164

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

$323 NOK 3,006

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 NOK 71.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 $55.1

$66.9 NOK 623

-17.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 $40.14

$36.05 NOK 336

11.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 $96.8

$148 NOK 1,377

-34.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$170 NOK 1,580

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 $2,342

$1,578 NOK 14.7K

48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$1,278 NOK 11.9K

79.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,912 $3,912

$2,730 NOK 25.4K

43.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,765 $3,765

$2,025 NOK 18.9K

85.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K $11.9K

$6,913 NOK 64.4K

72.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K $11.6K

$5,394 NOK 50.3K

115.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,727 $4,727

$4,206 NOK 39.2K

12.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

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

Last update for Kahului, HI: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tromso: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,342 in Kahului, HI and $1,578 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 12% 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: $74.0 in Kahului, HI vs $106 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $545 per month, with Kahului, HI 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

Kahului, HI vs Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tromso wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Kahului, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tromso the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Kahului, HI, 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: $2,342 in Kahului, HI versus $1,578 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kahului, HI pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,899 per month in Kahului, HI versus $3,167 in Tromso – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Tromso is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tromso delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,167 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tromso hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kahului, HI and Tromso 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 Tromso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Kahului, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.