Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marietta, GA and Arendal

For one person, living is cheaper in Arendal: $2,679 a month against $2,865 in Marietta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Marietta, GA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Marietta, GA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,865
/mo nomad
Arendal
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,679
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marietta, GA and in Arendal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,865 in Marietta, GA versus $2,679 in Arendal.

  • Marietta, GA $2,865
  • Arendal $2,679

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,403 in Marietta, GA versus $3,805 in Arendal.

  • Marietta, GA $4,403
  • Arendal $3,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,942 in Marietta, GA versus $4,931 in Arendal.

  • Marietta, GA $5,942
  • Arendal $4,931

Living in Marietta, GA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Arendal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marietta, GA 112% above, Arendal 98% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.33 $20.33
$19.51 NOK 184
4.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.7 $99.7
$65.8 NOK 619
51.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.21 $12.21
$15.52 NOK 146
-21.33%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$5.33 NOK 50.2
5.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$3.49 NOK 32.84
-22.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 $2.09
$3.25 NOK 30.62
-35.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.10 $7.10
$11.55 NOK 109
-38.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.89 $7.89
$12.08 NOK 114
-34.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$2.31 NOK 21.78
-59.74%
White Bread (500g)
$3.53 $3.53
$3.47 NOK 32.63
1.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.78 NOK 35.56
-8.47%
Eggs
$4.37 $4.37
$4.93 NOK 46.38
-11.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.85 $13.85
$14.81 NOK 139
-6.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.62 $14.62
$14.35 NOK 135
1.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.54 $19.54
$33.30 NOK 314
-41.32%
Apples (1kg)
$6.09 $6.09
$3.49 NOK 32.83
74.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$2.63 NOK 24.75
-36.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$3.48 NOK 32.74
23.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.27 $5.27
$4.74 NOK 44.63
11.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.55 NOK 23.97
7.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.65 $2.65
$3.10 NOK 29.18
-14.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$2.82 NOK 26.55
-21.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.24 NOK 21.13
25.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.54 $8.54
$17.67 NOK 166
-51.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.23 $14.23
$14.46 NOK 136
-1.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$3.74 NOK 35.19
-47.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$4.38 NOK 41.27
-21.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$3.69 NOK 34.72
-31.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86.0 $86.0
$90.2 NOK 849
-4.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.44 $3.44
$6.11 NOK 57.5
-43.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.70 NOK 16.03
-13.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.07 $24.07
$105 NOK 986
-77.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$2.26 NOK 21.31
-56.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K $37.5K
$48.3K NOK 454.3K
-22.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$41.0K NOK 385.9K
-37.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$252 NOK 2,372
-13.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$82.0 $82.0
$34.68 NOK 326
136.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.5 $75.5
$79.7 NOK 751
-5.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$117 $117
$36.61 NOK 345
219.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.44 $23.44
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.97 $11.97
$15.38 NOK 145
-22.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,086 $1,086
$314 NOK 2,952
246.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.4K $22.4K
$13.8K NOK 129.9K
62.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$125 NOK 1,176
-57.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.66 $45.66
$43.59 NOK 410
4.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.5 $99.5
$124 NOK 1,165
-19.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 $110
$204 NOK 1,922
-46.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,660 $1,660
$1,109 NOK 10.4K
49.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,331 $1,331
$1,039 NOK 9,783
28.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,617 $2,617
$1,556 NOK 14.6K
68.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,473 $2,473
$1,453 NOK 13.7K
70.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,833 $2,833
$4,112 NOK 38.7K
-31.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,998 $1,998
$3,134 NOK 29.5K
-36.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marietta, GA
Arendal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,037 $4,037
$4,151 NOK 39.1K
-2.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.63
4.68
41.67%

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

Last update for Marietta, GA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Arendal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marietta, GA
$1.3K
Arendal
$1K 21.9% $292
Groceries & Markets
Marietta, GA
$435
Arendal
$488 12.3% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marietta, GA
$374
Arendal
$366 2.1% $8.1
Eating Out
Marietta, GA
$337
Arendal
$375 11.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Marietta, GA
$141
Arendal
$67 52.2% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Marietta, GA
$139
Arendal
$223 61.2% $85
Getting Around
Marietta, GA
$107
Arendal
$120 11.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,660 in Marietta, GA and $1,109 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $100 in Marietta, GA vs $66.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $435 vs $488, with Marietta, GA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Marietta, GA
🇳🇴 Arendal
🕒 Local time
15:35 3:35 PM
21:35 9:35 PM
6 h ahead of Marietta, GA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
61,048
46,406
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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
  • Marietta, GA Arendal 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Marietta, GA
  • Arendal

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
Marietta, GA vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Marietta, GA and in Arendal?
Marietta, GA and Arendal differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,865 vs $2,679 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Arendal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Marietta, GA and in Arendal?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,660 in Marietta, GA versus $1,109 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Marietta, GA and Arendal?
Childcare runs $1,086 in Marietta, GA versus $314 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Marietta, GA pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,679 in Arendal versus $2,865 in Marietta, GA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Marietta, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Marietta, GA and Arendal?
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.
Is Marietta, GA or Arendal safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Marietta, GA and Arendal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Marietta, GA or Arendal?
Expats usually find Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Marietta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Marietta, GA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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