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: $3,200 in Oslo versus $2,485 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,586 in Oslo versus $3,699 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,972 in Oslo versus $4,912 in Harstad.

Living in Oslo is roughly 29% more expensive than Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 139% above, Harstad 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.54 NOK 238

$13.48 NOK 125

89.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,118

$123 NOK 1,145

-2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 NOK 143

$15.11 NOK 140

1.65%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 46.98

$5.99 NOK 55.7

-15.69%

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

$4.02 NOK 37.34

$3.44 NOK 31.99

16.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.59

$3.07 NOK 28.55

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.26 NOK 114

$11.11 NOK 103

10.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.98 NOK 102

$11.20 NOK 104

-1.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.30

$2.33 NOK 21.67

3.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 NOK 38.21

$3.16 NOK 29.38

30.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.42

$3.10 NOK 28.84

12.58%

Eggs

$5.17 NOK 48.05

$4.28 NOK 39.79

20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 NOK 126

$10.56 NOK 98.2

28.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.39 NOK 152

$15.15 NOK 141

8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 292

$38.04 NOK 354

-17.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.90

$3.88 NOK 36.12

-8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.23

$2.77 NOK 25.80

-9.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.11

$3.52 NOK 32.72

-1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 46.01

$4.64 NOK 43.16

6.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 22.98

$1.99 NOK 18.54

24.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.36

$2.05 NOK 19.10

27.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.47

$2.68 NOK 24.91

6.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 NOK 22.28

$1.76 NOK 16.40

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.01 NOK 158

$15.25 NOK 142

11.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.81 NOK 175

$16.36 NOK 152

14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.31

$3.62 NOK 33.66

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.30

$4.53 NOK 42.14

-4.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.02

$6.03 NOK 56.1

-30.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.8 NOK 724

$79.3 NOK 737

-1.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 94.9

$12.82 NOK 119

-20.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.82

$1.44 NOK 13.41

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.32 NOK 394

$50.5 NOK 470

-16.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.84

$2.13 NOK 19.78

5.16%

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

$36.1K NOK 335.5K

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

7.56%

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

$42.8K NOK 397.7K

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

40.87%

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

$296 NOK 2,748

$159 NOK 1,480

85.67%

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

$31.62 NOK 294

$33.50 NOK 312

-5.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 522

$76.7 NOK 714

-26.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 519

$48.47 NOK 451

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.63 NOK 266

$35.46 NOK 330

-19.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 NOK 167

$16.65 NOK 155

7.99%

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

$269 NOK 2,503

$336 NOK 3,125

-19.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 135.8K

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

189.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 947

$77.2 NOK 718

31.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 NOK 613

$32.68 NOK 304

101.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$117 NOK 1,089

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$135 NOK 1,260

19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 NOK 16.1K

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 NOK 13.6K

$1,021 NOK 9,498

42.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 NOK 25.2K

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 NOK 20.2K

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

50.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K NOK 105.1K

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

88.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,682 NOK 71.4K

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

65.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,467 NOK 41.5K

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

25.39%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Harstad: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,727 in Oslo and $1,331 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 $123 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $504 vs $481, 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oslo pays 25% 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: $1,727 in Oslo versus $1,331 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 $123 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 29% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.