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: $3,188 in Oslo versus $2,359 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,644 in Oslo versus $3,603 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,099 in Oslo versus $4,846 in Holmestrand.

Living in Oslo is roughly 35% more expensive than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Holmestrand 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.21 NOK 242

$19.56 NOK 188

28.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,183

$100 NOK 959

23.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.39 NOK 148

$13.39 NOK 128

14.94%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 46.65

$4.85 NOK 46.48

0.21%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.51

$1.97 NOK 18.90

114.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.83

$1.98 NOK 18.95

67.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.23 NOK 117

$9.17 NOK 88.0

33.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.04 NOK 106

$9.41 NOK 90.2

17.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.31

$1.65 NOK 15.86

41.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 NOK 40.14

$3.29 NOK 31.59

27.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 34.14

$1.96 NOK 18.82

81.63%

Eggs

$4.93 NOK 47.28

$4.17 NOK 39.96

18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 NOK 128

$11.15 NOK 107

19.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.54 NOK 159

$14.10 NOK 135

17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.01 NOK 297

$40.17 NOK 385

-22.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 34.22

$1.99 NOK 19.09

79.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 24.16

$2.34 NOK 22.42

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.58

$3.17 NOK 30.38

3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NOK 47.69

$2.37 NOK 22.70

109.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 23.45

$0.80 NOK 7.63

205.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 25.43

$1.35 NOK 12.97

96.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.68

$2.84 NOK 27.27

-2.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 22.25

$1.92 NOK 18.43

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.05 NOK 164

$13.92 NOK 134

22.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 179

$17.98 NOK 172

3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 33.08

$3.00 NOK 28.80

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 41.58

$4.03 NOK 38.63

7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.65

$4.21 NOK 40.39

-1.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 NOK 758

$74.7 NOK 716

5.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 96.4

$9.04 NOK 86.7

11.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.80

$0.94 NOK 9.02

53.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.41 NOK 407

$99.3 NOK 952

-57.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.88

$2.12 NOK 20.30

2.83%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.6K

$38.3K NOK 367.3K

-6.20%

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

$42.5K NOK 407.2K

$33.5K NOK 321.7K

26.61%

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

$295 NOK 2,830

$219 NOK 2,104

34.51%

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

$30.62 NOK 294

$43.10 NOK 413

-28.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NOK 530

$38.56 NOK 370

43.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

$48.42 NOK 464

15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.35 NOK 272

$35.31 NOK 339

-19.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 NOK 177

$15.14 NOK 145

21.93%

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

$265 NOK 2,539

$302 NOK 2,899

-12.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 142.2K

$10.1K NOK 97.3K

46.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 989

$110 NOK 1,051

-5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 NOK 623

$30.04 NOK 288

116.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,160

$98.6 NOK 946

22.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,576

$133 NOK 1,280

23.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 NOK 16.1K

$1,217 NOK 11.7K

37.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.6K

$899 NOK 8,625

57.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 NOK 26.4K

$1,795 NOK 17.2K

53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 NOK 20.7K

$1,556 NOK 14.9K

38.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.6K NOK 111.7K

$5,686 NOK 54.5K

104.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 NOK 68.0K

$3,422 NOK 32.8K

107.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,263 NOK 40.9K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,676 in Oslo and $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $123 in Oslo vs $100 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $501 vs $445 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 35% 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.

You'd need roughly $4,782 in Oslo and $3,538 in Holmestrand to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,676 in Oslo versus $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Oslo versus $302 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 $3,188 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 35% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.