Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,431 in Mandal versus $3,141 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,864 in Mandal versus $4,597 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,296 in Mandal versus $6,053 in Oslo.

Living in Mandal costs roughly 23% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mandal 81% above, Oslo 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 NOK 236

$25.53 NOK 237

-0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,150

$123 NOK 1,138

1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 143

$15.15 NOK 141

1.91%

Cappuccino

$5.06 NOK 47.04

$4.86 NOK 45.18

4.12%

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

$3.94 NOK 36.60

$4.08 NOK 37.95

-3.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 30.42

$3.19 NOK 29.65

2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.19 NOK 104

$12.02 NOK 112

-6.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 NOK 94.2

$11.22 NOK 104

-9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.21

$2.39 NOK 22.24

-8.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 NOK 29.55

$4.09 NOK 37.98

-22.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 NOK 40.97

$3.66 NOK 34.02

20.49%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 28.70

$5.03 NOK 46.77

-38.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 NOK 122

$13.46 NOK 125

-2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.19 NOK 150

$16.04 NOK 149

0.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.16 NOK 252

$30.76 NOK 286

-11.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.16

$3.49 NOK 32.47

2.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.22

$2.63 NOK 24.41

-0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.06

$3.35 NOK 31.16

-9.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.93

$5.16 NOK 47.96

-10.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.19

$2.43 NOK 22.58

-10.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 28.51

$2.71 NOK 25.21

13.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 NOK 14.45

$2.85 NOK 26.48

-45.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.10

$2.34 NOK 21.73

-21.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 NOK 139

$17.19 NOK 160

-12.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 NOK 179

$18.93 NOK 176

1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 NOK 28.06

$3.35 NOK 31.12

-9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.46

$4.38 NOK 40.67

-34.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 38.81

$4.31 NOK 40.00

-3.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 NOK 675

$77.9 NOK 723

-6.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 NOK 52.6

$10.04 NOK 93.3

-43.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 9.72

$1.38 NOK 12.86

-23.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.4 NOK 923

$42.24 NOK 392

135.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.45

$2.18 NOK 20.24

-4.13%

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

$34.7K NOK 322.6K

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

-4.79%

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

$32.3K NOK 300.2K

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

-24.29%

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

$191 NOK 1,771

$304 NOK 2,821

-37.20%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$31.63 NOK 294

3.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 NOK 750

$57.0 NOK 530

41.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 NOK 459

$57.8 NOK 537

-14.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.73 NOK 332

$28.64 NOK 266

24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 NOK 182

$18.01 NOK 167

8.50%

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

$313 NOK 2,910

$274 NOK 2,543

14.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 119.7K

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

-11.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,088

$106 NOK 983

10.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 NOK 554

$65.4 NOK 608

-8.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 968

$124 NOK 1,152

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,463

$168 NOK 1,564

-6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 NOK 11.4K

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

-26.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 NOK 8,459

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

-37.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 NOK 16.8K

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

-34.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 NOK 14.2K

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

-29.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,616 NOK 52.2K

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

-53.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 41.9K

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

-38.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,453 NOK 41.4K

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

0.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.08

-11.22%

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

Last update for Mandal: June 2, 2026

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Mandal and $1,671 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $124 in Mandal vs $122 in Oslo. Groceries flip the comparison at $454 vs $500, with Mandal 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

Mandal vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mandal pays 1% more on average, 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: $1,229 in Mandal versus $1,671 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,431 per month in Mandal versus $3,141 in Oslo – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandal runs roughly 7% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,431 in Mandal versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mandal but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Mandal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mandal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mandal 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 Mandal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.