Cost of Living Comparison Between Narvik and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Narvik and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,250 in Narvik versus $2,237 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,403 in Narvik versus $3,331 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,557 in Narvik versus $4,425 in Arendal.

Living in Narvik is roughly 1% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Narvik 68% above, Arendal 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 NOK 195

$17.94 NOK 173

12.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 NOK 887

$74.4 NOK 717

23.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 145

$14.88 NOK 143

1.34%

Cappuccino

$5.56 NOK 53.5

$5.08 NOK 48.93

9.45%

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

$2.57 NOK 24.80

$3.21 NOK 30.96

-19.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NOK 24.52

$3.07 NOK 29.57

-16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.93 NOK 105

$11.20 NOK 108

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 108

$10.23 NOK 98.6

9.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 23.24

$2.33 NOK 22.44

3.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 NOK 31.41

$3.06 NOK 29.51

6.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 23.67

$3.53 NOK 34.05

-30.31%

Eggs

$4.85 NOK 46.69

$4.37 NOK 42.05

10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 NOK 109

$12.84 NOK 124

-12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.01 NOK 145

$15.79 NOK 152

-4.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.94 NOK 211

$27.39 NOK 264

-19.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 32.03

$3.39 NOK 32.63

-1.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 19.15

$2.62 NOK 25.24

-24.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 NOK 35.53

$3.08 NOK 29.68

19.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 NOK 40.92

$4.59 NOK 44.26

-7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.59

$2.14 NOK 20.58

14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 35.06

$2.99 NOK 28.80

21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 25.78

$2.56 NOK 24.65

4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 17.18

$1.76 NOK 16.96

1.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 NOK 145

$15.33 NOK 148

-2.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 NOK 179

$16.97 NOK 163

9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 32.88

$3.34 NOK 32.16

2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 33.15

$3.99 NOK 38.44

-13.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 49.81

$3.83 NOK 36.93

34.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 NOK 819

$105 NOK 1,009

-18.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 124

$7.94 NOK 76.5

61.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.42

$2.10 NOK 20.18

-33.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.9 NOK 490

$30.41 NOK 293

67.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 20.17

$2.05 NOK 19.78

1.95%

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

$29.8K NOK 286.9K

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

-13.75%

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

$30.2K NOK 290.4K

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

-6.95%

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

$247 NOK 2,376

$193 NOK 1,861

27.65%

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

$47.69 NOK 459

$35.70 NOK 344

33.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 NOK 746

$73.7 NOK 710

5.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 NOK 512

$44.57 NOK 429

19.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.12 NOK 242

$52.6 NOK 507

-52.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.76 NOK 161

$12.25 NOK 118

36.82%

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

$338 NOK 3,259

$308 NOK 2,964

9.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,299 NOK 70.3K

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

-26.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 NOK 848

$95.2 NOK 917

-7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 NOK 319

$58.8 NOK 566

-43.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 NOK 1,254

$104 NOK 1,002

25.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 NOK 1,318

$162 NOK 1,559

-15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NOK 8,956

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

-13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 NOK 6,729

$718 NOK 6,913

-2.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 NOK 15.2K

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

20.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 NOK 11.4K

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

3.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,013 NOK 48.3K

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

64.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,616 NOK 44.5K

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

123.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 NOK 33.2K

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

-14.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

3.6

18.61%

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

Last update for Narvik: July 12, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Narvik and $1,076 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Narvik vs $74.0 in Arendal. Groceries flip the comparison at $433 vs $456, with Narvik 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

Narvik vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Narvik and Arendal differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,250 vs $2,237 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $930 in Narvik versus $1,076 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $338 in Narvik versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Narvik pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,250 in Narvik, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Narvik. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal 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, Narvik 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.

Expats usually find Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Narvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.