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: $3,515 in Kahului, HI versus $2,965 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,959 in Kahului, HI versus $4,410 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,404 in Kahului, HI versus $5,854 in Tromso.

Living in Kahului, HI is roughly 19% more expensive than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kahului, HI 163% above, Tromso 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.05 $19.05

$33.12 NOK 319

-42.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$121 NOK 1,162

-32.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.46 $15.46

$14.95 NOK 144

3.41%

Cappuccino

$7.12 $7.12

$6.11 NOK 58.9

16.53%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$4.51 NOK 43.47

-35.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.36 NOK 32.34

5.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$11.31 NOK 109

-36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 $7.69

$11.00 NOK 106

-30.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.49 NOK 24.03

-33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.19 NOK 30.74

10.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.47 NOK 33.42

24.21%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$4.86 NOK 46.83

-12.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$11.61 NOK 112

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$15.21 NOK 147

-27.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$37.68 NOK 363

-58.47%

Apples (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$3.86 NOK 37.14

126.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.81 NOK 27.09

-41.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.56 NOK 34.34

21.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.75 $8.75

$5.16 NOK 49.66

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.98 NOK 28.74

123.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.56 NOK 34.29

-18.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.68 NOK 25.84

11.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.75 NOK 16.88

-9.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$15.11 NOK 146

-38.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.64 NOK 35.02

-50.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.55 NOK 43.78

-13.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$4.69 NOK 45.14

-56.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.78 $45.78

$59.5 NOK 573

-23.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$12.71 NOK 122

-72.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.09 NOK 10.47

47.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.71 $29.71

$50.8 NOK 489

-41.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.23 NOK 21.51

-44.39%

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

$39.4K $39.4K

$33.1K NOK 318.6K

19.17%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$36.6K NOK 352.4K

-29.05%

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

$219 $219

$252 NOK 2,425

-12.97%

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

$80.8 $80.8

$47.54 NOK 458

69.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 $55.3

$75.9 NOK 731

-27.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.18 $42.18

$47.75 NOK 460

-11.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.56 NOK 381

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 $13.06

$16.45 NOK 158

-20.61%

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

$1,297 $1,297

$334 NOK 3,212

288.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$7,348 NOK 70.8K

222.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.32 $38.32

$91.0 NOK 877

-57.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.13 $25.13

$33.49 NOK 323

-24.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 $64.4

$134 NOK 1,287

-51.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$133 NOK 1,278

-21.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 $2,536

$1,352 NOK 13.0K

87.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$1,258 NOK 12.1K

68.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,538 $3,538

$2,549 NOK 24.6K

38.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,501 $3,501

$1,815 NOK 17.5K

92.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K $11.8K

$8,817 NOK 84.9K

33.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K $11.6K

$5,188 NOK 50.0K

123.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,719 $4,719

$4,066 NOK 39.2K

16.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

4.27

52.46%

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

Last update for Kahului, HI: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tromso: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,536 in Kahului, HI and $1,352 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI 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: $81.0 in Kahului, HI vs $121 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $502 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 19% 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 16% 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: $2,536 in Kahului, HI versus $1,352 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,297 in Kahului, HI versus $334 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kahului, HI pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $2,965 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 19% less than in Kahului, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.