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: $3,203 in Oslo versus $2,237 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,686 in Oslo versus $3,331 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,170 in Oslo versus $4,425 in Arendal.

Living in Oslo is roughly 43% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Arendal 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$17.94 NOK 173

41.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,162

$74.4 NOK 718

61.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 144

$14.88 NOK 143

0.54%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.95

$5.08 NOK 48.98

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

$4.10 NOK 39.56

$3.21 NOK 31.00

27.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.77

$3.07 NOK 29.60

3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 119

$11.20 NOK 108

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 106

$10.23 NOK 98.7

7.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.18

$2.33 NOK 22.47

3.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 38.91

$3.06 NOK 29.54

31.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.41

$3.53 NOK 34.08

3.97%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.70

$4.37 NOK 42.10

13.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$12.84 NOK 124

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 158

$15.79 NOK 152

3.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$27.39 NOK 264

14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.76

$3.39 NOK 32.66

6.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.38

$2.62 NOK 25.27

0.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.31

$3.08 NOK 29.72

12.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.85

$4.59 NOK 44.31

10.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.16

$2.14 NOK 20.60

17.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.15

$2.99 NOK 28.83

-9.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.76

$2.56 NOK 24.68

8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.19

$1.76 NOK 16.98

36.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 168

$15.33 NOK 148

13.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$16.97 NOK 164

9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 32.92

$3.34 NOK 32.20

2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 41.96

$3.99 NOK 38.48

9.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.34

$3.83 NOK 36.97

9.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 767

$105 NOK 1,011

-24.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.3

$7.94 NOK 76.6

28.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.57

$2.10 NOK 20.21

-32.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 403

$30.41 NOK 293

37.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.91

$2.05 NOK 19.80

10.73%

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

$36.7K NOK 353.4K

$34.5K NOK 333.0K

6.14%

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

$42.3K NOK 408.3K

$32.4K NOK 312.5K

30.66%

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

$296 NOK 2,855

$193 NOK 1,863

53.23%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$35.70 NOK 344

-12.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 535

$73.7 NOK 711

-24.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 553

$44.57 NOK 430

28.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 274

$52.6 NOK 507

-46.02%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$12.25 NOK 118

47.02%

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

$274 NOK 2,647

$308 NOK 2,968

-10.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.6K

$9,980 NOK 96.2K

47.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 996

$95.2 NOK 918

8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 622

$58.8 NOK 567

9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,166

$104 NOK 1,003

16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,616

$162 NOK 1,561

3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

58.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$718 NOK 6,920

100.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.8K

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

103.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.0K

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

90.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.0K

$3,056 NOK 29.5K

276.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.1K

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

236.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.0K

$4,050 NOK 39.1K

5.09%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $1,076 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 5% 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: $120 in Oslo vs $74.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $456 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 43% in total monthly costs ($3,203 vs $2,237 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Oslo, 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: $1,700 in Oslo versus $1,076 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $3,203 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 43% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.