Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Grimstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Grimstad: $2,179 a month against $3,538 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
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Oslo Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index

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Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,538

/mo nomad

Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oslo and in Grimstad

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 Grimstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,538 in Oslo versus $2,179 in Grimstad.

Oslo $3,538
Grimstad $2,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,096 in Oslo versus $3,734 in Grimstad.

Oslo $5,096
Grimstad $3,734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,653 in Oslo versus $5,290 in Grimstad.

Oslo $6,653
Grimstad $5,290

Living in Oslo is roughly 62% more expensive than in Grimstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 160% above, Grimstad 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.75 NOK 202

$21.29 NOK 198

2.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$130 NOK 1,206

$79.4 NOK 737

63.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.04 NOK 149

$15.38 NOK 143

4.29%

Cappuccino

$5.84 NOK 54.3

$4.87 NOK 45.25

19.92%

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

$4.38 NOK 40.67

$4.20 NOK 38.99

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.10

$3.41 NOK 31.65

-1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.65 NOK 108

$11.76 NOK 109

-0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.81 NOK 119

$10.54 NOK 97.9

21.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.61 NOK 24.27

$2.65 NOK 24.59

-1.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 NOK 40.73

$3.74 NOK 34.70

17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 NOK 43.68

$3.24 NOK 30.07

45.06%

Eggs

$6.25 NOK 58.1

$3.60 NOK 33.41

73.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.48 NOK 144

$12.94 NOK 120

19.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.84 NOK 147

$14.43 NOK 134

9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.30 NOK 300

$24.57 NOK 228

31.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 31.17

$2.17 NOK 20.19

54.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.31

$2.47 NOK 22.93

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 NOK 33.92

$3.57 NOK 33.20

2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 NOK 55.4

$4.38 NOK 40.72

36.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 25.03

$2.73 NOK 25.37

-1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 NOK 26.48

$2.92 NOK 27.12

-2.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.30

$3.25 NOK 30.18

0.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.22

$1.86 NOK 17.25

34.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 NOK 178

$19.23 NOK 179

-0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.64 NOK 155

$16.29 NOK 151

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.45

$3.52 NOK 32.71

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.25

$4.28 NOK 39.77

-1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 NOK 46.65

$5.27 NOK 48.95

-4.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 NOK 775

$92.6 NOK 860

-9.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 115

$12.16 NOK 113

1.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.12

$1.84 NOK 17.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 658

$72.4 NOK 673

-2.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.05

$2.36 NOK 21.89

5.08%

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

$49.9K NOK 463.6K

$50.2K NOK 466.2K

-0.56%

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

$44.7K NOK 415.1K

$45.0K NOK 418.5K

-0.80%

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

$433 NOK 4,027

$314 NOK 2,913

38.26%

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

$34.50 NOK 321

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 NOK 517

$55.8 NOK 518

-0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 NOK 540

$43.72 NOK 406

32.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.79 NOK 277

Cinema Ticket

$20.78 NOK 193

$16.41 NOK 152

26.63%

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

$240 NOK 2,226

$242 NOK 2,251

-1.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.2K

$15.9K NOK 148.1K

1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 969

$94.8 NOK 881

9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.8 NOK 574

$53.1 NOK 494

16.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,253

$106 NOK 985

27.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,487

$163 NOK 1,510

-1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 NOK 19.8K

$902 NOK 8,382

136.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 NOK 15.3K

$545 NOK 5,062

201.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,270 NOK 30.4K

$1,988 NOK 18.5K

64.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 NOK 22.9K

$1,825 NOK 17.0K

35.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K NOK 114.9K

$4,724 NOK 43.9K

161.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,462 NOK 69.3K

$3,502 NOK 32.5K

113.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,703 NOK 43.7K

$4,577 NOK 42.5K

2.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

4.9

0.82%

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

Last update for Oslo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oslo

$1.6K 46.5%

Grimstad

$545 25% 66.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Oslo

$530 15%

Grimstad

$446 20.5% 16% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oslo

$524 14.8%

Grimstad

$404 18.5% 22.9% $120

Eating Out

Oslo

$407 11.5%

Grimstad

$385 17.7% 5.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Oslo

$207 5.9%

Grimstad

$187 8.6% 9.6% $20

Getting Around

Oslo

$125 3.5%

Grimstad

$135 6.2% 7.9% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Oslo

$100 2.8%

Grimstad

$77 3.5% 23.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,133 in Oslo and $902 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 3% 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: $130 in Oslo vs $79 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $446 per month, with Grimstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Oslo

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

Same time as Oslo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,098,061 Capital

25,093

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Oslo Grimstad 210 km

From you

Oslo
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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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,307 in Oslo and $3,268 in Grimstad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,133 in Oslo versus $902 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,538 per month in Oslo versus $2,179 in Grimstad – Grimstad is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Oslo runs roughly 10% less than in Grimstad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,179 in Grimstad versus $3,538 in Oslo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Grimstad but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Grimstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Grimstad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Grimstad wins on affordability, Oslo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.