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: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,422 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $3,693 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $4,965 in Harstad.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Harstad 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 241

$13.57 NOK 128

88.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,158

$119 NOK 1,129

2.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 143

$15.33 NOK 145

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.98

$6.05 NOK 57.2

-19.67%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.62

$3.45 NOK 32.61

18.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.17

$2.99 NOK 28.30

6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 114

$11.22 NOK 106

7.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 106

$11.32 NOK 107

-0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.63

$2.32 NOK 21.90

3.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.65

$3.15 NOK 29.82

29.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.62

$3.00 NOK 28.35

22.00%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.59

$4.18 NOK 39.48

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 127

$10.56 NOK 99.9

27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 152

$14.92 NOK 141

7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 291

$37.12 NOK 351

-17.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 33.04

$4.06 NOK 38.37

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.84

$2.68 NOK 25.35

-1.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.71

$3.46 NOK 32.74

-3.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.80

$4.67 NOK 44.15

10.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.97

$1.99 NOK 18.86

22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.65

$1.98 NOK 18.72

36.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.95

$2.77 NOK 26.23

2.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 22.11

$1.79 NOK 16.90

30.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 163

$15.21 NOK 144

13.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 179

$16.00 NOK 151

18.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.67

$3.56 NOK 33.64

-5.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 41.38

$4.50 NOK 42.56

-2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.70

$5.95 NOK 56.3

-27.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 736

$81.5 NOK 771

-4.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 95.0

$12.47 NOK 118

-19.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.09

$1.44 NOK 13.57

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 399

$51.3 NOK 485

-17.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.60

$2.11 NOK 19.96

3.32%

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

$36.5K NOK 344.8K

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

8.47%

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

$42.7K NOK 403.5K

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

38.36%

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

$304 NOK 2,870

$160 NOK 1,509

90.20%

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

$31.63 NOK 299

$33.10 NOK 313

-4.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 539

$77.0 NOK 728

-25.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 546

$49.67 NOK 470

16.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 271

$36.08 NOK 341

-20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 170

$16.99 NOK 161

6.00%

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

$274 NOK 2,588

$329 NOK 3,110

-16.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 137.5K

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

183.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,000

$77.2 NOK 730

36.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 618

$33.44 NOK 316

95.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,172

$118 NOK 1,113

5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,592

$134 NOK 1,269

25.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.8K

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.7K

$1,004 NOK 9,490

44.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 26.0K

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.5K

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

44.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 113.6K

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

100.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 69.0K

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

60.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.7K

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

23.18%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Harstad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,330 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 23% 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: $122 in Oslo vs $119 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $476 per month, with Harstad 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 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.

Oslo pays 23% 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $1,330 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 $119 versus $122 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,422 in Harstad versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Harstad but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Harstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.