Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,443 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
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Oslo Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,443

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oslo and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,443 in Oslo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Oslo $3,443
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,981 in Oslo versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Oslo $4,981
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,519 in Oslo versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Oslo $6,519
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Oslo is roughly 27% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 157% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.80 NOK 199

$20.22 $20.22

2.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 NOK 1,194

$85.0 $85.0

47.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.81 NOK 151

$12.35 $12.35

28.02%

Cappuccino

$6.03 NOK 57.6

$5.47 $5.47

10.24%

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

$4.41 NOK 42.10

$3.82 $3.82

15.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.33

$2.50 $2.50

31.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.75 NOK 112

$8.06 $8.06

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.73 NOK 122

$8.99 $8.99

41.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 NOK 23.53

$1.13 $1.13

117.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 NOK 40.08

$3.78 $3.78

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 44.16

$3.25 $3.25

42.15%

Eggs

$5.99 NOK 57.2

$4.14 $4.14

44.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.83 NOK 142

$13.08 $13.08

13.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.56 NOK 149

$14.31 $14.31

8.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.16 NOK 298

$15.96 $15.96

95.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 32.05

$4.38 $4.38

-23.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 24.62

$1.45 $1.45

77.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.63

$4.54 $4.54

-22.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 NOK 54.9

$4.19 $4.19

36.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 25.46

$2.63 $2.63

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 NOK 27.08

$2.36 $2.36

20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.15 NOK 30.05

$1.76 $1.76

78.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.66

$2.16 $2.16

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.09 NOK 182

$9.81 $9.81

94.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.58 NOK 158

$14.72 $14.72

12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 32.01

$2.78 $2.78

20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 41.31

$3.48 $3.48

24.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 NOK 46.25

$1.49 $1.49

224.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.6 NOK 789

$40.51 $40.51

103.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 NOK 112

$2.67 $2.67

338.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NOK 17.68

$1.58 $1.58

17.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.0 NOK 659

$35.29 $35.29

95.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.23

$0.99 $0.99

135.35%

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

$47.4K NOK 453.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

32.47%

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

$43.5K NOK 415.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

60.20%

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

$415 NOK 3,967

$219 $219

89.43%

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

$33.37 NOK 319

$58.0 $58.0

-42.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 NOK 526

$68.4 $68.4

-19.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 NOK 561

$57.9 $57.9

1.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.61 NOK 273

$14.82 $14.82

93.05%

Cinema Ticket

$19.45 NOK 186

$14.13 $14.13

37.65%

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

$233 NOK 2,229

$1,509 $1,509

-84.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K NOK 147.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-28.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 962

$51.7 $51.7

95.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 NOK 560

$44.05 $44.05

33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,276

$85.1 $85.1

57.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,462

$105 $105

45.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 NOK 19.3K

$1,932 $1,932

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 15.0K

$1,272 $1,272

23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 NOK 29.2K

$3,670 $3,670

-16.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 NOK 22.4K

$2,525 $2,525

-7.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K NOK 112.2K

$7,617 $7,617

54.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,804 NOK 65.0K

$3,199 $3,199

112.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,578 NOK 43.7K

$5,105 $5,105

-10.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

6.79

-27.25%

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

Last update for Oslo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Oslo

$1.6K 46.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 19.2% $303

Groceries & Markets

Oslo

$514 15.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 21.7% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oslo

$504 14.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 31.4% $158

Eating Out

Oslo

$401 11.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 13.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Oslo

$201 5.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 35.9% $72

Getting Around

Oslo

$123 3.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 53.6% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Oslo

$98 2.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 11.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,021 in Oslo and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $125 in Oslo vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $514 vs $403 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Oslo

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

7 h behind Oslo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,098,061 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.71 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Oslo Austin, TX 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Oslo
Austin, TX

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

Oslo vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Oslo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,021 in Oslo versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,443 per month in Oslo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 104% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.