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: $3,393 in Oslo versus $2,626 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,964 in Oslo versus $3,908 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,535 in Oslo versus $5,189 in Harstad.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 148% above, Harstad 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.87 NOK 206

$14.17 NOK 134

54.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,200

$109 NOK 1,027

16.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.35 NOK 154

$16.17 NOK 152

1.11%

Cappuccino

$6.18 NOK 58.2

$6.56 NOK 61.9

-5.79%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.67

$3.84 NOK 36.18

6.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 32.51

$3.18 NOK 29.98

8.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.64 NOK 110

$12.72 NOK 120

-8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.70 NOK 120

$13.91 NOK 131

-8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.98

$2.58 NOK 24.32

2.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 NOK 38.85

$3.48 NOK 32.77

18.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 44.87

$3.30 NOK 31.06

44.24%

Eggs

$6.14 NOK 57.9

$4.58 NOK 43.18

34.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 NOK 138

$11.19 NOK 105

31.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.39 NOK 145

$15.09 NOK 142

1.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.69 NOK 280

$42.47 NOK 400

-30.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.45

$4.24 NOK 39.94

-18.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.25

$2.94 NOK 27.73

-8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 33.37

$3.82 NOK 35.95

-7.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 NOK 57.1

$4.79 NOK 45.12

26.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.66

$2.16 NOK 20.37

25.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.18

$2.17 NOK 20.48

32.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.23 NOK 30.43

$3.02 NOK 28.50

6.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.41 NOK 22.71

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 NOK 185

$16.82 NOK 158

16.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 157

$15.81 NOK 149

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.75

$4.04 NOK 38.03

-13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.35

$4.98 NOK 46.97

-11.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 NOK 47.22

$6.22 NOK 58.6

-19.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 NOK 800

$84.4 NOK 796

0.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 NOK 116

$16.02 NOK 151

-23.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NOK 17.59

$1.84 NOK 17.32

1.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.1 NOK 661

$56.9 NOK 536

23.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.25 NOK 21.20

0.89%

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

$50.2K NOK 473.1K

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

33.54%

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

$45.5K NOK 428.8K

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

42.26%

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

$425 NOK 4,008

$168 NOK 1,582

153.38%

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

$33.72 NOK 318

$34.80 NOK 328

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 NOK 542

$81.9 NOK 771

-29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 NOK 580

$51.1 NOK 482

20.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 NOK 275

$37.78 NOK 356

-22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$19.46 NOK 183

$17.55 NOK 165

10.88%

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

$244 NOK 2,302

$246 NOK 2,319

-0.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.0K

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

192.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 976

$68.7 NOK 647

50.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 NOK 576

$36.02 NOK 339

69.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,273

$124 NOK 1,170

8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,492

$168 NOK 1,580

-5.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 NOK 19.1K

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

46.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.8K

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

43.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 NOK 28.9K

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

31.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,302 NOK 21.7K

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

50.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.8K

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

93.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,933 NOK 65.3K

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

68.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 NOK 44.2K

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

30.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

-0.40%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 13, 2026

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,026 in Oslo and $1,387 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 30% 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: $127 in Oslo vs $109 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $516 vs $520, with Oslo 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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $2,026 in Oslo versus $1,387 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Oslo pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Harstad – a meal for two runs $109 versus $127 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.