Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Harstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Harstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,214 in Oslo versus $2,470 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,677 in Oslo versus $3,732 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,139 in Oslo versus $4,993 in Harstad.

Living in Oslo is roughly 30% more expensive than in Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 141% above, Harstad 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 NOK 241

$13.58 NOK 130

85.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,144

$121 NOK 1,156

-0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.42 NOK 148

$15.25 NOK 146

1.11%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.86

$6.21 NOK 59.4

-21.10%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.25

$3.62 NOK 34.61

13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 32.02

$3.12 NOK 29.83

7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.14 NOK 116

$10.99 NOK 105

10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.99 NOK 105

$11.23 NOK 108

-2.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.62

$2.45 NOK 23.41

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 NOK 39.98

$3.30 NOK 31.58

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 34.69

$3.02 NOK 28.88

19.87%

Eggs

$5.14 NOK 49.20

$4.14 NOK 39.66

24.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 NOK 127

$10.47 NOK 100

26.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.96 NOK 153

$15.42 NOK 148

3.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.50 NOK 302

$37.05 NOK 355

-14.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 34.13

$4.05 NOK 38.80

-11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 25.00

$2.66 NOK 25.51

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.95

$3.53 NOK 33.77

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 NOK 48.31

$4.65 NOK 44.48

8.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.63

$2.06 NOK 19.70

19.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 25.38

$1.98 NOK 18.93

33.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 27.65

$2.67 NOK 25.57

8.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.53

$1.76 NOK 16.85

33.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.03 NOK 163

$14.92 NOK 143

14.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 NOK 176

$15.83 NOK 152

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 NOK 32.24

$3.48 NOK 33.29

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 42.02

$4.70 NOK 44.96

-6.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 NOK 39.65

$6.11 NOK 58.5

-32.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 NOK 752

$79.3 NOK 759

-1.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 NOK 96.6

$12.53 NOK 120

-19.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 NOK 13.70

$1.40 NOK 13.42

2.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.77 NOK 400

$50.8 NOK 486

-17.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.78

$2.14 NOK 20.50

6.54%

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

$36.7K NOK 350.9K

$33.3K NOK 319.0K

10.00%

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

$42.9K NOK 411.0K

$30.4K NOK 291.0K

41.27%

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

$296 NOK 2,831

$162 NOK 1,552

82.43%

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

$30.61 NOK 293

$32.24 NOK 309

-5.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 540

$76.7 NOK 734

-26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 535

$48.64 NOK 466

14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 NOK 280

$35.38 NOK 339

-17.33%

Cinema Ticket

$18.50 NOK 177

$16.78 NOK 161

10.25%

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

$265 NOK 2,539

$334 NOK 3,194

-20.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 141.6K

$5,159 NOK 49.4K

186.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 978

$75.0 NOK 718

36.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 NOK 619

$33.21 NOK 318

94.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,197

$118 NOK 1,131

5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,571

$136 NOK 1,303

20.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 NOK 16.5K

$1,298 NOK 12.4K

33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 14.0K

$1,006 NOK 9,627

45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 NOK 25.6K

$2,189 NOK 20.9K

22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.9K

$1,471 NOK 14.1K

48.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K NOK 111.9K

$5,805 NOK 55.6K

101.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,104 NOK 68.0K

$3,967 NOK 38.0K

79.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 NOK 40.4K

$3,370 NOK 32.3K

25.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.27

18.97%

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

Last update for Oslo: July 19, 2026

Last update for Harstad: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Oslo and $1,298 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 25% 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: $120 in Oslo vs $121 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $502 vs $480, with Harstad 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,728 in Oslo versus $1,298 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Harstad – a meal for two runs $121 versus $120 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Harstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Harstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Harstad 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 Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.