Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Fredrikstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Fredrikstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,387 in Oslo versus $2,987 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $4,377 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $5,767 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Oslo is roughly 13% more expensive than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 146% above, Fredrikstad 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$23.28 NOK 216

-8.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$120 NOK 1,117

6.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$12.82 NOK 119

28.24%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$6.88 NOK 63.8

-14.24%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$5.83 NOK 54.1

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$4.46 NOK 41.34

-19.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$12.64 NOK 117

-4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$9.77 NOK 90.7

31.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$2.32 NOK 21.49

11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$4.52 NOK 41.89

-3.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$3.53 NOK 32.79

30.88%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$6.28 NOK 58.2

-2.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

$13.44 NOK 125

9.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$18.57 NOK 172

-16.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$35.40 NOK 328

-12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$4.75 NOK 44.02

-29.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$3.62 NOK 33.55

-22.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$4.52 NOK 41.98

-23.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$5.19 NOK 48.16

15.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$2.98 NOK 27.65

-9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$2.83 NOK 26.21

1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$3.00 NOK 27.85

8.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$2.42 NOK 22.43

5.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$15.83 NOK 147

22.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$22.70 NOK 211

-24.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$3.53 NOK 32.77

1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$4.29 NOK 39.84

0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$4.35 NOK 40.33

14.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$68.5 NOK 635

25.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$13.06 NOK 121

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$2.07 NOK 19.16

-7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$71.7 NOK 665

-1.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$2.38 NOK 22.06

-5.04%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$47.1K NOK 437.1K

3.36%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$49.9K NOK 463.1K

-9.27%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$344 NOK 3,191

23.23%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$46.78 NOK 434

-30.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$66.8 NOK 620

-14.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$58.5 NOK 543

3.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$41.72 NOK 387

-28.88%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$20.70 NOK 192

-4.78%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$176 NOK 1,630

43.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$10.6K NOK 98.0K

53.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$164 NOK 1,526

-36.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

$79.5 NOK 738

-21.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$149 NOK 1,379

-9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$113 NOK 1,052

42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$1,396 NOK 13.0K

46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

34.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$1,834 NOK 17.0K

65.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$1,528 NOK 14.2K

50.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$6,381 NOK 59.2K

91.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$4,284 NOK 39.7K

67.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

$3,401 NOK 31.5K

35.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

4.95

0.20%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $1,396 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 35% 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: $128 in Oslo vs $120 in Fredrikstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $523 vs $564, with Oslo 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

Oslo vs Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fredrikstad is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $1,396 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $252 in Oslo versus $176 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Oslo pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Fredrikstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Fredrikstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Fredrikstad 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 Fredrikstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.