Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Kristiansand

For one person, living is cheaper in Kristiansand: $2,633 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Kristiansand
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,633
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Kristiansand

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in London and in Kristiansand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,986 in London versus $2,633 in Kristiansand.

  • London $3,986
  • Kristiansand $2,633

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,791 in London versus $3,954 in Kristiansand.

  • London $5,791
  • Kristiansand $3,954

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,595 in London versus $5,274 in Kristiansand.

  • London $7,595
  • Kristiansand $5,274

Living in London is roughly 51% more expensive than in Kristiansand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 195% above, Kristiansand 95% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Kristiansand
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$27.90 NOK 263
-7.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$84.1 NOK 791
26.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$16.00 NOK 151
-33.06%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$4.61 NOK 43.41
18.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$3.21 NOK 30.23
-7.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$2.30 NOK 21.68
-4.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$12.73 NOK 120
-28.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$8.63 NOK 81.3
-8.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Kristiansand
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$2.34 NOK 22.07
-20.51%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$3.97 NOK 37.41
-47.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$3.97 NOK 37.34
-39.04%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$5.61 NOK 52.8
-9.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$12.65 NOK 119
1.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$14.97 NOK 141
-30.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$42.82 NOK 403
-60.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$4.31 NOK 40.55
-27.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.45 NOK 23.10
-42.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$3.98 NOK 37.42
-22.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$4.76 NOK 44.78
-31.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$2.47 NOK 23.30
-36.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$2.26 NOK 21.31
-23.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.93 NOK 27.60
-52.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$2.10 NOK 19.76
-14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$16.85 NOK 159
38.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$15.49 NOK 146
-15.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$3.57 NOK 33.65
-11.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$3.94 NOK 37.09
12.18%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Kristiansand
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$3.71 NOK 34.89
9.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$72.1 NOK 679
242.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$8.04 NOK 75.6
-30.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$1.61 NOK 15.12
108.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$56.5 NOK 531
0.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$2.22 NOK 20.93
-4.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$48.0K NOK 451.6K
-20.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$43.5K NOK 409.4K
-5.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Kristiansand
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$219 NOK 2,057
70.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$31.19 NOK 294
-42.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$59.2 NOK 558
-31.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Kristiansand
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$48.14 NOK 453
24.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$35.88 NOK 338
-40.66%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$15.61 NOK 147
13.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Kristiansand
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$296 NOK 2,790
866.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$2,572 NOK 24.2K
1273.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Kristiansand
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$115 NOK 1,086
-1.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$55.7 NOK 524
-2.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$119 NOK 1,116
4.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$155 NOK 1,459
5.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Kristiansand
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$1,160 NOK 10.9K
147.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$988 NOK 9,298
126.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$1,804 NOK 17.0K
191.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$1,571 NOK 14.8K
140.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
$4,711 NOK 44.3K
289.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
$3,480 NOK 32.8K
130.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Kristiansand
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
$4,193 NOK 39.5K
20.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
5.01
-5.39%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kristiansand: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Kristiansand
$988 55.8% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Kristiansand
$309 28.2% $121
Eating Out
London
$388
Kristiansand
$430 10.9% $42
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Kristiansand
$524 50% $175
Getting Around
London
$285
Kristiansand
$103 63.9% $182
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Kristiansand
$200 2.4% $5
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Kristiansand
$79 16.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,869 in London and $1,160 in Kristiansand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 20% 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: $107 in London vs $84.0 in Kristiansand. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $524, with London cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇳🇴 Kristiansand
🕒 Local time
18:44 6:44 PM
19:44 7:44 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
117,213
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Kristiansand 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Kristiansand

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
London vs Kristiansand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kristiansand cheaper than London?
Kristiansand is cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and leisure. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: London or Kristiansand?
Average pay runs 20% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between London and Kristiansand?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,869 in London versus $1,160 in Kristiansand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in London and in Kristiansand?
Shoppers in London pay roughly 50% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is eating out cheaper in London or in Kristiansand?
Dining out is cheaper in Kristiansand – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in London or in Kristiansand?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Kristiansand is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is London or Kristiansand more family-friendly?
For families, Kristiansand is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, London or Kristiansand?
Safety-wise, London and Kristiansand are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Kristiansand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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