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: $3,387 in Oslo versus $2,432 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $3,812 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $5,191 in Hamar.

Living in Oslo is roughly 39% more expensive than in Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 146% above, Hamar 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$21.31 NOK 198

-0.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$132 NOK 1,222

-3.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$16.33 NOK 152

0.67%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$6.11 NOK 56.6

-3.44%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$4.19 NOK 38.87

1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$3.49 NOK 32.35

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$11.95 NOK 111

1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$8.59 NOK 79.7

49.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$2.58 NOK 23.97

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$3.03 NOK 28.15

43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$2.11 NOK 19.57

118.96%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

$11.28 NOK 105

30.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$12.96 NOK 120

19.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$29.84 NOK 277

3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$3.33 NOK 30.86

0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$2.66 NOK 24.70

4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$3.12 NOK 28.91

11.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$5.93 NOK 55.0

1.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$2.55 NOK 23.65

5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$2.61 NOK 24.22

10.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$2.21 NOK 20.51

47.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$2.09 NOK 19.37

22.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$19.10 NOK 177

1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$16.83 NOK 156

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$3.51 NOK 32.52

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$4.31 NOK 39.94

0.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$4.71 NOK 43.66

5.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$70.0 NOK 649

23.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$12.43 NOK 115

0.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$1.92 NOK 17.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$72.0 NOK 668

-1.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$2.29 NOK 21.29

-1.31%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$50.3K NOK 466.4K

-3.15%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$45.4K NOK 420.9K

-0.18%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$229 NOK 2,128

84.81%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$33.05 NOK 307

-1.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$58.2 NOK 540

-1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$58.8 NOK 545

2.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$29.84 NOK 277

-0.57%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$19.63 NOK 182

0.41%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$212 NOK 1,969

18.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$16.2K NOK 150.5K

0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$102 NOK 942

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

$61.7 NOK 573

1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$134 NOK 1,240

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$108 NOK 998

50.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$1,250 NOK 11.6K

63.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$885 NOK 8,209

74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$1,637 NOK 15.2K

84.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$1,519 NOK 14.1K

51.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$4,488 NOK 41.6K

172.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$3,585 NOK 33.3K

99.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

$4,278 NOK 39.7K

7.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

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

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hamar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $1,250 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 7% 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: $128 in Oslo vs $132 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $523 vs $459, with Hamar 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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oslo and Hamar differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($3,387 vs $2,432 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $1,250 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 $132 versus $128 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 39% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.