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: $3,167 in Oslo versus $2,374 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,598 in Oslo versus $3,743 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,029 in Oslo versus $5,112 in Hamar.

Living in Oslo is roughly 33% more expensive than Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 136% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.05 NOK 238

$25.11 NOK 238

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,145

$123 NOK 1,165

-1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.29 NOK 145

$15.06 NOK 143

1.53%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.58

$5.01 NOK 47.54

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

$4.22 NOK 40.04

$4.22 NOK 40.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 31.62

$3.25 NOK 30.86

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.97 NOK 114

$12.22 NOK 116

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.28 NOK 107

$8.22 NOK 78.1

37.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.75

$2.10 NOK 19.95

9.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 NOK 39.10

$2.99 NOK 28.38

37.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.19

$2.04 NOK 19.36

76.47%

Eggs

$5.15 NOK 48.87

$4.95 NOK 46.99

4.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 NOK 127

$10.38 NOK 98.5

28.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.54 NOK 157

$11.90 NOK 113

38.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.78 NOK 302

$30.60 NOK 290

3.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.66

$3.58 NOK 33.97

-0.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.69

$2.53 NOK 23.97

2.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.50

$2.90 NOK 27.50

17.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NOK 47.21

$5.08 NOK 48.27

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.29

$2.37 NOK 22.46

8.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 25.36

$2.36 NOK 22.38

13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.35

$2.03 NOK 19.31

36.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 NOK 22.73

$1.95 NOK 18.54

22.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.92 NOK 161

$17.52 NOK 166

-3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 NOK 181

$18.70 NOK 177

1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.83

$3.48 NOK 33.02

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 40.15

$4.18 NOK 39.66

1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 39.48

$4.56 NOK 43.25

-8.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.0 NOK 750

$64.1 NOK 609

23.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NOK 95.7

$9.94 NOK 94.3

1.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.76

$1.39 NOK 13.16

4.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.60 NOK 404

$42.55 NOK 404

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.69

$2.12 NOK 20.16

2.83%

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

$36.8K NOK 349.4K

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

1.34%

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

$41.9K NOK 397.5K

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

-1.93%

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

$301 NOK 2,857

$217 NOK 2,063

38.48%

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

$31.61 NOK 300

$30.76 NOK 292

2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 NOK 534

$56.4 NOK 536

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 NOK 533

$56.5 NOK 536

-0.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.38 NOK 279

$27.99 NOK 266

4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$18.20 NOK 173

$18.07 NOK 172

0.72%

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

$273 NOK 2,587

$206 NOK 1,960

32.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K NOK 142.3K

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

1.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 966

$104 NOK 985

-1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 NOK 616

$60.2 NOK 572

7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,155

$125 NOK 1,185

-2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 NOK 1,590

$99.8 NOK 947

67.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.5K

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 NOK 13.5K

$820 NOK 7,783

73.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 NOK 25.5K

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

76.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 NOK 20.1K

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

49.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K NOK 110.8K

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

93.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,097 NOK 67.4K

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

57.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,357 NOK 41.4K

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

2.34%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hamar: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Oslo and $1,171 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 2% 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: $121 in Oslo vs $123 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $506 vs $438, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($3,167 vs $2,374 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oslo pays 2% 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 $1,171 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $123 versus $121 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,374 in Hamar versus $3,167 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar 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 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 33% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.