Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Drammen Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Drammen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,141 per month in Oslo vs $2,214 in Drammen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,597 per month in Oslo vs $3,324 in Drammen, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,053 per month in Oslo vs $4,434 in Drammen, rent included.

Oslo costs about 42% more than Drammen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Oslo and Drammen sit above the global median – Oslo by 134%, Drammen by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.53 NOKΒ 238
$20.64 NOKΒ 192
23.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 NOKΒ 1,140
$75.3 NOKΒ 701
62.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.15 NOKΒ 141
$13.06 NOKΒ 122
16.00%
Cappuccino
$4.86 NOKΒ 45.28
$4.99 NOKΒ 46.43
-2.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08 NOKΒ 38.03
$2.42 NOKΒ 22.52
68.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 NOKΒ 29.71
$2.64 NOKΒ 24.60
20.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.02 NOKΒ 112
$7.82 NOKΒ 72.8
53.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.22 NOKΒ 104
$6.19 NOKΒ 57.6
81.26%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.39 NOKΒ 22.28
$2.20 NOKΒ 20.51
8.64%
White Bread (500g)
$4.09 NOKΒ 38.06
$3.13 NOKΒ 29.17
30.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.66 NOKΒ 34.09
$3.15 NOKΒ 29.34
16.19%
Eggs
$5.03 NOKΒ 46.87
$4.19 NOKΒ 38.98
20.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.46 NOKΒ 125
$11.60 NOKΒ 108
16.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.04 NOKΒ 149
$13.42 NOKΒ 125
19.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$30.76 NOKΒ 286
$17.23 NOKΒ 160
78.53%
Apples (1kg)
$3.49 NOKΒ 32.54
$2.05 NOKΒ 19.08
70.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 NOKΒ 24.46
$2.32 NOKΒ 21.62
13.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 NOKΒ 31.23
$3.42 NOKΒ 31.83
-2.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.16 NOKΒ 48.06
$3.95 NOKΒ 36.79
30.63%
Potato (1kg)
$2.43 NOKΒ 22.62
$2.27 NOKΒ 21.14
7.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 NOKΒ 25.26
$1.34 NOKΒ 12.48
102.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.85 NOKΒ 26.53
$1.85 NOKΒ 17.18
54.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 NOKΒ 21.77
$1.93 NOKΒ 17.93
21.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.19 NOKΒ 160
$14.45 NOKΒ 135
18.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.93 NOKΒ 176
$13.02 NOKΒ 121
45.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.35 NOKΒ 31.19
$3.07 NOKΒ 28.58
9.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 NOKΒ 40.75
$3.91 NOKΒ 36.39
12.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.31 NOKΒ 40.08
$2.81 NOKΒ 26.17
53.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.9 NOKΒ 725
$75.5 NOKΒ 703
3.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.04 NOKΒ 93.5
$10.01 NOKΒ 93.2
0.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 NOKΒ 12.89
$1.26 NOKΒ 11.77
9.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.24 NOKΒ 393
$103 NOKΒ 959
-59.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.18 NOKΒ 20.29
$2.17 NOKΒ 20.21
0.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K NOKΒ 339.5K
$39.9K NOKΒ 371.5K
-8.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.7K NOKΒ 397.3K
$38.9K NOKΒ 362.0K
9.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$304 NOKΒ 2,826
$217 NOKΒ 2,021
39.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.63 NOKΒ 294
$44.32 NOKΒ 413
-28.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.0 NOKΒ 531
$38.34 NOKΒ 357
48.75%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.8 NOKΒ 538
$86.1 NOKΒ 801
-32.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.64 NOKΒ 267
$35.80 NOKΒ 333
-20.00%
Cinema Ticket
$18.01 NOKΒ 168
$14.77 NOKΒ 138
21.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$274 NOKΒ 2,548
$310 NOKΒ 2,887
-11.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K NOKΒ 135.4K
$10.2K NOKΒ 95.4K
41.95%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106 NOKΒ 985
$97.8 NOKΒ 910
8.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.4 NOKΒ 609
$25.22 NOKΒ 235
159.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 NOKΒ 1,154
$97.7 NOKΒ 909
26.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$168 NOKΒ 1,567
$142 NOKΒ 1,326
18.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 NOKΒ 15.6K
$932 NOKΒ 8,676
79.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,446 NOKΒ 13.5K
$777 NOKΒ 7,229
86.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,749 NOKΒ 25.6K
$1,491 NOKΒ 13.9K
84.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,165 NOKΒ 20.2K
$1,343 NOKΒ 12.5K
61.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.0K NOKΒ 111.9K
$10.8K NOKΒ 100.7K
11.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,295 NOKΒ 67.9K
$6,561 NOKΒ 61.1K
11.19%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Oslo
Drammen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,411 NOKΒ 41.1K
$3,747 NOKΒ 34.9K
17.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.08
4.38
15.98%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Drammen: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,671 in Oslo versus $932 in Drammen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Oslo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Oslo versus $75.0 in Drammen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $500 vs $383 – making Drammen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Drammen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Oslo and Drammen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,141 in Oslo, $2,214 in Drammen – roughly 42% apart. Oslo costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Oslo compared to Drammen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,711 per month in Oslo and $3,321 in Drammen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Oslo and Drammen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Drammen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Oslo and Drammen?
Kindergarten costs $274 per month in Oslo and $310 in Drammen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Oslo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Drammen, where all-in costs run around $2,214, than in Oslo at $3,141. In Drammen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oslo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Oslo and Drammen?
It depends on your priorities. Oslo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,214 in Drammen to $3,141 in Oslo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Oslo or Drammen safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Oslo and Drammen?
If budget matters most, go with Drammen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oslo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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