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: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $4,055 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $5,418 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Oslo is roughly 17% more expensive than Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Fredrikstad 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 237

$18.53 NOK 172

37.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,138

$110 NOK 1,018

11.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$11.98 NOK 111

26.46%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.18

$5.16 NOK 47.91

-5.81%

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

$4.08 NOK 37.95

$3.90 NOK 36.25

4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.65

$2.80 NOK 25.98

13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$11.30 NOK 105

6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 104

$10.19 NOK 94.7

10.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$2.17 NOK 20.17

10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 37.98

$4.45 NOK 41.36

-8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.02

$3.23 NOK 30.00

13.31%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.77

$5.46 NOK 50.8

-7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$11.89 NOK 110

13.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 149

$15.75 NOK 146

1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 286

$33.73 NOK 313

-8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.47

$4.74 NOK 44.06

-26.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.41

$3.45 NOK 32.09

-23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.16

$4.50 NOK 41.83

-25.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 47.96

$5.06 NOK 47.00

1.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.58

$2.89 NOK 26.81

-15.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.21

$2.75 NOK 25.58

-1.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.48

$2.73 NOK 25.40

4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.73

$1.82 NOK 16.94

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$15.09 NOK 140

13.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$22.89 NOK 213

-17.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.12

$3.32 NOK 30.80

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.67

$6.01 NOK 55.8

-27.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.00

$3.90 NOK 36.22

10.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 723

$62.3 NOK 579

25.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.3

$6.15 NOK 57.1

63.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.86

$1.46 NOK 13.56

-5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 392

$53.8 NOK 500

-21.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.24

$2.32 NOK 21.58

-6.03%

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

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

$35.3K NOK 328.0K

3.29%

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

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

$37.8K NOK 351.5K

12.79%

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

$304 NOK 2,821

$336 NOK 3,119

-9.56%

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

$31.63 NOK 294

$38.13 NOK 354

-17.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 530

$56.0 NOK 520

1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 537

$48.08 NOK 447

20.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 266

$39.46 NOK 367

-27.42%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 167

$21.86 NOK 203

-17.61%

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

$274 NOK 2,543

$283 NOK 2,629

-3.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

43.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 983

$149 NOK 1,383

-28.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 608

$61.3 NOK 569

6.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,152

$166 NOK 1,539

-25.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,564

$134 NOK 1,242

26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

$1,288 NOK 12.0K

29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

$953 NOK 8,851

51.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

$1,537 NOK 14.3K

40.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

$6,150 NOK 57.1K

95.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

$4,533 NOK 42.1K

60.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

$3,416 NOK 31.7K

29.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.25

19.53%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 29% 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 $110 in Fredrikstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $500 vs $526, 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 Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oslo pays 29% 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 $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $283 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Oslo pay roughly 5% 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 17% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.