Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,218 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $3,391 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $4,563 in Arendal.

Living in Oslo is roughly 42% more expensive than Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Arendal 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 237

$17.87 NOK 166

42.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,138

$75.4 NOK 700

62.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$14.93 NOK 139

1.47%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.18

$5.17 NOK 48.00

-6.00%

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

$4.08 NOK 37.95

$3.18 NOK 29.50

28.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.65

$3.06 NOK 28.47

4.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$11.16 NOK 104

7.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 104

$10.17 NOK 94.5

10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$2.37 NOK 21.98

0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 37.98

$3.06 NOK 28.41

33.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.02

$3.59 NOK 33.39

1.95%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.77

$4.33 NOK 40.26

16.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$13.22 NOK 123

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 149

$15.42 NOK 143

4.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 286

$27.81 NOK 258

10.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.47

$3.44 NOK 31.98

1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.41

$2.52 NOK 23.40

4.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.16

$3.01 NOK 27.93

11.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 47.96

$4.75 NOK 44.13

8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.58

$2.12 NOK 19.74

14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.21

$2.93 NOK 27.17

-7.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.48

$2.52 NOK 23.45

13.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.73

$1.78 NOK 16.52

31.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$14.98 NOK 139

14.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$18.12 NOK 168

4.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.12

$3.33 NOK 30.92

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.67

$4.02 NOK 37.37

8.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.00

$3.83 NOK 35.57

12.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 723

$103 NOK 957

-24.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.3

$7.88 NOK 73.2

27.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.86

$2.05 NOK 19.02

-32.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 392

$29.93 NOK 278

41.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.24

$2.10 NOK 19.55

3.81%

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

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

5.63%

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

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

30.40%

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

$304 NOK 2,821

$187 NOK 1,734

62.64%

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

$31.63 NOK 294

$35.07 NOK 326

-9.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 530

$73.6 NOK 683

-22.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 537

$43.98 NOK 409

31.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 266

$53.8 NOK 499

-46.72%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 167

$11.98 NOK 111

50.33%

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

$274 NOK 2,543

$302 NOK 2,801

-9.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

44.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 983

$95.5 NOK 887

10.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 608

$59.1 NOK 549

10.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,152

$105 NOK 973

18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,564

$156 NOK 1,449

7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

$695 NOK 6,455

108.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

112.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

89.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

278.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

236.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

3.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

3.6

41.11%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arendal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,100 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 3% 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: $122 in Oslo vs $75.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $459 per month, with Arendal 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

Oslo vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oslo and Arendal differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($3,141 vs $2,218 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oslo pays 3% 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $1,100 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $302 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,218 in Arendal versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Oslo. 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, Oslo 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 42% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.