Cost of Living Comparison Between Karmøy and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Karmøy and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,436 in Karmøy versus $3,214 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,783 in Karmøy versus $4,677 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,130 in Karmøy versus $6,139 in Oslo.

Living in Karmøy costs roughly 24% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karmøy 82% above, Oslo 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 245

$25.14 NOK 241

1.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 971

$120 NOK 1,146

-15.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.68 NOK 131

$15.42 NOK 148

-11.28%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 48.06

$4.90 NOK 46.95

2.24%

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

$3.18 NOK 30.52

$4.10 NOK 39.32

-22.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NOK 26.92

$3.35 NOK 32.09

-16.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.17 NOK 97.6

$12.14 NOK 116

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 NOK 90.7

$10.99 NOK 105

-14.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 21.03

$2.36 NOK 22.67

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.74

$4.18 NOK 40.06

-18.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.74

$3.62 NOK 34.76

-8.56%

Eggs

$4.32 NOK 41.41

$5.14 NOK 49.29

-15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 NOK 117

$13.25 NOK 127

-7.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 NOK 141

$15.96 NOK 153

-7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.84 NOK 267

$31.50 NOK 302

-11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.25

$3.57 NOK 34.20

-2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.88

$2.61 NOK 25.05

-4.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 31.90

$3.44 NOK 33.02

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 NOK 43.04

$5.05 NOK 48.41

-11.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 NOK 23.07

$2.47 NOK 23.68

-2.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.53

$2.65 NOK 25.43

-7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 27.08

$2.89 NOK 27.71

-2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NOK 17.73

$2.35 NOK 22.57

-21.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 NOK 135

$17.03 NOK 163

-17.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.83 NOK 171

$18.41 NOK 177

-3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 33.11

$3.37 NOK 32.30

2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 NOK 39.38

$4.39 NOK 42.11

-6.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 39.91

$4.14 NOK 39.72

0.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.5 NOK 696

$78.5 NOK 753

-7.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 NOK 96.8

$10.09 NOK 96.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.36

$1.43 NOK 13.73

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.94 NOK 441

$41.77 NOK 401

9.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 20.07

$2.28 NOK 21.83

-8.33%

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

$35.7K NOK 342.0K

$36.7K NOK 351.6K

-2.73%

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

$38.7K NOK 371.3K

$42.9K NOK 411.8K

-9.84%

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

$240 NOK 2,301

$296 NOK 2,837

-18.90%

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

$37.78 NOK 362

$30.61 NOK 294

23.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NOK 528

$56.4 NOK 541

-2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 480

$55.9 NOK 536

-10.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.57 NOK 341

$29.25 NOK 281

21.61%

Cinema Ticket

$16.74 NOK 161

$18.50 NOK 177

-9.51%

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

$282 NOK 2,708

$265 NOK 2,544

6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

$14.8K NOK 141.8K

-31.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 NOK 922

$102 NOK 980

-5.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 506

$64.7 NOK 621

-18.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,028

$125 NOK 1,199

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,440

$164 NOK 1,574

-8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

$1,728 NOK 16.6K

-31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 NOK 8,634

$1,465 NOK 14.0K

-38.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 NOK 17.5K

$2,670 NOK 25.6K

-31.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 NOK 14.9K

$2,182 NOK 20.9K

-28.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 NOK 49.3K

$11.7K NOK 112.1K

-56.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,582 NOK 34.3K

$7,104 NOK 68.1K

-49.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,029 NOK 38.6K

$4,224 NOK 40.5K

-4.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

5.08

-13.78%

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

Last update for Karmøy: July 20, 2026

Last update for Oslo: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,192 in Karmøy and $1,728 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 5% 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: $101 in Karmøy vs $120 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $455 vs $502 per month, with Karmøy 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

Karmøy vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karmøy and Oslo differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,436 vs $3,214 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Oslo. 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: $1,192 in Karmøy versus $1,728 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Karmøy runs roughly 8% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Karmøy versus $265 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,436 in Karmøy versus $3,214 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Karmøy but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Karmøy 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, Karmøy and Oslo 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 Karmøy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.