Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Holmestrand Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Holmestrand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,200 in Oslo versus $2,359 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,586 in Oslo versus $3,585 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,972 in Oslo versus $4,811 in Holmestrand.

Living in Oslo is roughly 36% more expensive than Holmestrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 139% above, Holmestrand 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.54 NOK 238

$18.88 NOK 176

35.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,118

$101 NOK 943

18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 NOK 143

$13.22 NOK 123

16.19%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 46.98

$5.02 NOK 46.68

0.60%

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

$4.02 NOK 37.34

$1.98 NOK 18.38

103.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.59

$2.05 NOK 19.02

60.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.26 NOK 114

$9.17 NOK 85.3

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.98 NOK 102

$9.77 NOK 90.9

12.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.30

$1.66 NOK 15.43

44.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 NOK 38.21

$3.32 NOK 30.87

23.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.42

$2.05 NOK 19.09

70.24%

Eggs

$5.17 NOK 48.05

$3.94 NOK 36.68

31.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 NOK 126

$11.16 NOK 104

21.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.39 NOK 152

$14.18 NOK 132

15.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 292

$41.11 NOK 382

-23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.90

$2.08 NOK 19.30

70.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.23

$2.32 NOK 21.57

7.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.11

$3.26 NOK 30.33

5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 46.01

$2.49 NOK 23.16

98.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 22.98

$0.79 NOK 7.39

212.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.36

$1.34 NOK 12.43

95.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.47

$2.86 NOK 26.60

-0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 NOK 22.28

$1.85 NOK 17.21

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.01 NOK 158

$14.02 NOK 130

21.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.81 NOK 175

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.31

$3.00 NOK 27.92

15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.30

$4.02 NOK 37.36

7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.02

$4.35 NOK 40.42

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.8 NOK 724

$73.0 NOK 679

6.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 94.9

$8.66 NOK 80.5

17.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.82

$0.97 NOK 8.99

42.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.32 NOK 394

$102 NOK 949

-58.51%

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

$38.2K NOK 355.0K

-5.50%

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

$42.8K NOK 397.7K

$34.2K NOK 317.8K

25.15%

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

$296 NOK 2,748

$219 NOK 2,032

35.23%

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

$31.62 NOK 294

$42.93 NOK 399

-26.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 522

$38.27 NOK 356

46.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 519

$48.71 NOK 453

14.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.63 NOK 266

$36.08 NOK 336

-20.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 NOK 167

$14.94 NOK 139

20.35%

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

$269 NOK 2,503

$303 NOK 2,814

-11.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 135.8K

$10.1K NOK 94.1K

44.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 947

$112 NOK 1,038

-8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 NOK 613

$30.85 NOK 287

113.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$99.9 NOK 929

24.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$129 NOK 1,200

25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 NOK 16.1K

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

43.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 NOK 13.6K

$878 NOK 8,168

65.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 NOK 25.2K

$1,800 NOK 16.7K

50.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 NOK 20.2K

$1,543 NOK 14.4K

40.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K NOK 105.1K

$6,023 NOK 56.0K

87.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,682 NOK 71.4K

$4,461 NOK 41.5K

72.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,467 NOK 41.5K

$3,733 NOK 34.7K

19.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

154.00%

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

Last update for Oslo: April 21, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,727 in Oslo and $1,206 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 20% 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 $101 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $451 per month, with Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Oslo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Holmestrand the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Oslo pays 20% 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 $1,206 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Oslo versus $303 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Holmestrand versus $3,200 in Oslo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Holmestrand but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Holmestrand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Holmestrand delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,359 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Holmestrand hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.