Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Halden Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Halden

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,203 per month in Oslo vs $2,154 in Halden, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,686 per month in Oslo vs $3,629 in Halden, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,170 per month in Oslo vs $5,105 in Halden, rent included.

Oslo costs about 49% more than Halden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Oslo and Halden sit above the global median – Oslo by 140%, Halden by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 244

$20.29 NOK 195

25.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,160

$101 NOK 971

19.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 144

$12.23 NOK 118

22.32%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.89

$4.61 NOK 44.38

10.20%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.51

$3.48 NOK 33.50

17.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.74

$3.03 NOK 29.17

5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 119

$10.02 NOK 96.5

23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 106

$9.17 NOK 88.4

20.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.15

$2.32 NOK 22.31

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 38.86

$3.00 NOK 28.92

34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.37

$2.93 NOK 28.19

25.26%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.65

$4.16 NOK 40.09

18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$12.41 NOK 120

10.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 158

$14.57 NOK 140

12.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 302

$31.76 NOK 306

-1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.72

$3.56 NOK 34.32

1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.35

$2.53 NOK 24.41

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.27

$3.35 NOK 32.25

2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.80

$4.56 NOK 43.89

11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.14

$2.51 NOK 24.18

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.12

$2.57 NOK 24.79

5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.73

$2.89 NOK 27.82

-3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.17

$1.60 NOK 15.38

50.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 168

$14.83 NOK 143

17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$16.23 NOK 156

14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 32.88

$2.65 NOK 25.55

28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 41.91

$3.93 NOK 37.87

10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.29

$4.26 NOK 41.00

-1.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 766

$59.6 NOK 574

33.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.2

$9.99 NOK 96.2

2.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.56

$1.38 NOK 13.29

2.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 402

$42.74 NOK 412

-2.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.88

$2.20 NOK 21.20

3.18%

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

$36.7K NOK 353.0K

$36.7K NOK 353.5K

-0.15%

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

$42.3K NOK 407.8K

$42.7K NOK 411.0K

-0.78%

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

$296 NOK 2,852

$303 NOK 2,922

-2.38%

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

$31.29 NOK 301

$30.68 NOK 295

1.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 534

$40.32 NOK 388

37.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 552

$54.9 NOK 529

4.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 274

$35.19 NOK 339

-19.30%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 173

$15.78 NOK 152

14.13%

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

$274 NOK 2,644

$266 NOK 2,564

3.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.4K

$14.5K NOK 139.6K

1.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 995

$95.0 NOK 915

8.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 621

$64.6 NOK 622

-0.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,164

$123 NOK 1,187

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,614

$123 NOK 1,181

36.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$918 NOK 8,840

85.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$661 NOK 6,369

117.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.8K

$1,948 NOK 18.8K

37.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.0K

$1,642 NOK 15.8K

32.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 110.9K

$5,815 NOK 56.0K

97.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.1K

$3,949 NOK 38.0K

76.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.0K

$3,338 NOK 32.1K

27.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.75

6.95%

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

Last update for Oslo: July 12, 2026

Last update for Halden: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,700 in Oslo versus $918 in Halden. 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 28% 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 $120 in Oslo versus $101 in Halden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $505 vs $453 – making Halden 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 Halden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,203 in Oslo, $2,154 in Halden – roughly 49% apart. Oslo costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,804 per month in Oslo and $3,231 in Halden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Halden, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Oslo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Oslo and $101 in Halden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Halden, where all-in costs run around $2,154, than in Oslo at $3,203. In Halden it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oslo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Oslo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,154 in Halden to $3,203 in Oslo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Halden. 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.