Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Hamar Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Hamar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Oslo versus $2,370 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,651 in Oslo versus $3,691 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,119 in Oslo versus $5,011 in Hamar.

Living in Oslo is roughly 34% more expensive than Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 138% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 NOK 231

$25.45 NOK 237

-2.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,146

$121 NOK 1,128

1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.20 NOK 142

$14.88 NOK 139

2.15%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 46.85

$5.05 NOK 47.02

-0.40%

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

$4.15 NOK 38.66

$4.10 NOK 38.25

1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 NOK 30.13

$3.18 NOK 29.62

1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.01 NOK 112

$12.08 NOK 113

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.31 NOK 105

$7.94 NOK 74.0

42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.48

$2.07 NOK 19.32

11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 NOK 38.59

$2.87 NOK 26.79

44.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.53

$2.07 NOK 19.30

73.91%

Eggs

$5.10 NOK 47.54

$4.97 NOK 46.29

2.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 NOK 123

$10.69 NOK 99.6

23.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.45 NOK 153

$11.99 NOK 112

37.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.37 NOK 292

$31.44 NOK 293

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.40

$3.48 NOK 32.45

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.49

$2.61 NOK 24.32

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 30.66

$2.88 NOK 26.81

14.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 NOK 47.67

$5.16 NOK 48.05

-0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.65

$2.39 NOK 22.24

1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 24.73

$2.45 NOK 22.84

8.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$2.01 NOK 18.73

43.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.66

$1.94 NOK 18.10

25.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.47 NOK 163

$16.88 NOK 157

3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 NOK 180

$18.77 NOK 175

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.81

$3.40 NOK 31.68

0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.94

$4.16 NOK 38.80

5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

$4.48 NOK 41.76

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 NOK 735

$65.2 NOK 607

20.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 94.9

$10.20 NOK 95.1

-0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.06

$1.40 NOK 13.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.71 NOK 398

$42.35 NOK 395

0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.65

$2.10 NOK 19.60

5.71%

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

$36.6K NOK 340.9K

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

-0.89%

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

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

-3.31%

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

$306 NOK 2,848

$215 NOK 2,007

41.90%

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

$30.90 NOK 288

$31.45 NOK 293

-1.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 520

$56.0 NOK 521

-0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 NOK 524

$55.9 NOK 521

0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.12 NOK 271

$27.85 NOK 260

4.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 NOK 167

$17.91 NOK 167

-0.11%

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

$266 NOK 2,475

$199 NOK 1,856

33.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.4K

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

-2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 980

$105 NOK 982

-0.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 NOK 612

$61.6 NOK 574

6.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,150

$124 NOK 1,157

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,514

$99.8 NOK 930

62.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 NOK 13.2K

$847 NOK 7,898

67.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 NOK 25.2K

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

81.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

52.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.4K NOK 106.3K

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

159.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,770 NOK 72.4K

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

120.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,467 NOK 41.6K

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

2.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

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

Last update for Oslo: April 28, 2026

Last update for Hamar: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Oslo and $1,168 in Hamar. 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: $123 in Oslo vs $121 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $441 per month, with Hamar cheaper across the board.

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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oslo and Hamar differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($3,182 vs $2,370 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oslo pays 3% 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: $1,738 in Oslo versus $1,168 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamar – a meal for two runs $121 versus $123 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hamar is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hamar 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 Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.