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: $3,203 in Oslo versus $2,682 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,686 in Oslo versus $4,010 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,170 in Oslo versus $5,338 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Oslo is roughly 19% more expensive than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Fredrikstad 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$17.97 NOK 173

41.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,162

$114 NOK 1,094

6.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 144

$11.91 NOK 115

25.61%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.95

$5.34 NOK 51.5

-4.87%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.56

$3.97 NOK 38.25

3.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.77

$2.74 NOK 26.47

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 119

$11.01 NOK 106

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 106

$10.29 NOK 99.3

7.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.18

$2.19 NOK 21.09

9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 38.91

$4.25 NOK 41.02

-5.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.41

$3.27 NOK 31.54

12.23%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.70

$5.22 NOK 50.4

-5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$11.78 NOK 114

15.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 158

$16.02 NOK 155

2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$34.17 NOK 330

-8.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.76

$4.51 NOK 43.50

-20.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.38

$3.52 NOK 33.95

-25.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.31

$4.50 NOK 43.39

-23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.85

$5.04 NOK 48.63

0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.16

$2.75 NOK 26.52

-8.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.15

$2.66 NOK 25.64

1.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.76

$2.64 NOK 25.50

5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.19

$1.85 NOK 17.81

30.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 168

$14.87 NOK 143

17.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$21.86 NOK 211

-14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 32.92

$3.43 NOK 33.04

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 41.96

$6.11 NOK 59.0

-28.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.34

$3.87 NOK 37.35

8.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 767

$63.7 NOK 614

24.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.3

$6.22 NOK 60.0

63.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.57

$1.46 NOK 14.04

-3.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 403

$52.3 NOK 504

-20.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.91

$2.27 NOK 21.93

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

$36.7K NOK 353.4K

$35.1K NOK 338.3K

4.46%

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

$42.3K NOK 408.3K

$39.1K NOK 377.0K

8.30%

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

$296 NOK 2,855

$339 NOK 3,272

-12.72%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$37.93 NOK 366

-17.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 535

$57.0 NOK 550

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 553

$48.85 NOK 471

17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 274

$39.15 NOK 377

-27.46%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$22.16 NOK 214

-18.73%

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

$274 NOK 2,647

$284 NOK 2,737

-3.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.6K

$10.2K NOK 98.3K

43.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 996

$154 NOK 1,484

-32.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 622

$60.2 NOK 581

7.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,166

$166 NOK 1,605

-27.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,616

$133 NOK 1,279

26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$1,266 NOK 12.2K

34.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$943 NOK 9,096

52.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.8K

$2,100 NOK 20.3K

27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.0K

$1,541 NOK 14.9K

41.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.0K

$5,874 NOK 56.6K

96.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.1K

$3,915 NOK 37.8K

77.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.0K

$3,227 NOK 31.1K

31.89%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $1,266 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 32% 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 $114 in Fredrikstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $505 vs $523, 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $1,266 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $284 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Oslo pay roughly 3% 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 19% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.