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: $3,188 in Oslo versus $2,379 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,644 in Oslo versus $3,737 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,099 in Oslo versus $5,095 in Hamar.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Hamar 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.21 NOK 242

$25.39 NOK 244

-0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,183

$122 NOK 1,170

1.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.39 NOK 148

$15.27 NOK 147

0.79%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 46.65

$5.07 NOK 48.59

-4.14%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.51

$4.21 NOK 40.39

0.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.83

$3.18 NOK 30.47

4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.23 NOK 117

$11.96 NOK 115

2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.04 NOK 106

$8.19 NOK 78.5

34.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.31

$2.10 NOK 20.16

10.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 NOK 40.14

$2.84 NOK 27.29

47.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 34.14

$2.05 NOK 19.63

73.66%

Eggs

$4.93 NOK 47.28

$5.20 NOK 49.84

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 NOK 128

$10.42 NOK 99.9

27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.54 NOK 159

$12.20 NOK 117

35.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.01 NOK 297

$31.13 NOK 299

-0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 34.22

$3.44 NOK 33.04

3.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 24.16

$2.50 NOK 23.96

0.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.58

$2.89 NOK 27.69

13.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NOK 47.69

$5.08 NOK 48.77

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 23.45

$2.38 NOK 22.81

2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 25.43

$2.39 NOK 22.95

10.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.68

$2.00 NOK 19.18

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 22.25

$1.89 NOK 18.12

22.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.05 NOK 164

$17.40 NOK 167

-2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 179

$18.04 NOK 173

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 33.08

$3.52 NOK 33.75

-1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 41.58

$4.25 NOK 40.80

1.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.65

$4.48 NOK 43.02

-7.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 NOK 758

$64.5 NOK 619

22.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 96.4

$9.97 NOK 95.7

0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.80

$1.38 NOK 13.27

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.41 NOK 407

$42.66 NOK 409

-0.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.88

$2.11 NOK 20.20

3.32%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.6K

$35.9K NOK 344.4K

0.06%

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

$42.5K NOK 407.2K

$43.2K NOK 414.6K

-1.77%

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

$295 NOK 2,830

$218 NOK 2,096

35.02%

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

$30.62 NOK 294

$31.47 NOK 302

-2.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NOK 530

$56.2 NOK 539

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.35 NOK 272

$27.97 NOK 268

1.36%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 NOK 177

$18.02 NOK 173

2.44%

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

$265 NOK 2,539

$203 NOK 1,944

30.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 142.2K

$14.6K NOK 140.2K

1.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 989

$106 NOK 1,014

-2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 NOK 623

$60.4 NOK 580

7.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,160

$121 NOK 1,161

-0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,576

$103 NOK 988

59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 NOK 16.1K

$1,160 NOK 11.1K

44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.6K

$824 NOK 7,902

71.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 NOK 26.4K

$1,496 NOK 14.3K

83.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 NOK 20.7K

$1,445 NOK 13.9K

49.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.6K NOK 111.7K

$4,211 NOK 40.4K

176.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 NOK 68.0K

$3,448 NOK 33.1K

105.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,263 NOK 40.9K

$4,111 NOK 39.4K

3.70%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Hamar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,676 in Oslo and $1,160 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 4% 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 $122 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $501 vs $438 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 ($3,188 vs $2,379 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,676 in Oslo versus $1,160 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 $122 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.