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: $3,387 in Oslo versus $2,843 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $4,373 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $5,903 in Holmestrand.

Living in Oslo is roughly 19% more expensive than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 146% above, Holmestrand 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$21.68 NOK 201

-1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$130 NOK 1,203

-1.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$16.34 NOK 152

0.61%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$5.91 NOK 54.8

-0.17%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$4.23 NOK 39.27

0.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$3.36 NOK 31.21

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$11.75 NOK 109

2.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$13.11 NOK 122

-2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$2.66 NOK 24.69

-3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$4.16 NOK 38.60

4.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$4.66 NOK 43.25

-0.86%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$6.17 NOK 57.3

-0.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$15.47 NOK 144

0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$30.67 NOK 285

0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$3.31 NOK 30.72

1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$2.68 NOK 24.85

4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$3.65 NOK 33.84

-4.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$6.18 NOK 57.3

-3.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$2.62 NOK 24.32

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$2.85 NOK 26.44

1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$3.14 NOK 29.13

3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$2.51 NOK 23.28

1.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$19.52 NOK 181

-0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$16.62 NOK 154

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$3.49 NOK 32.41

3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$4.38 NOK 40.60

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$4.84 NOK 44.94

2.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$85.3 NOK 791

1.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$12.18 NOK 113

2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$1.93 NOK 17.87

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$72.4 NOK 671

-2.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$2.24 NOK 20.79

0.89%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$49.1K NOK 455.6K

-0.85%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$45.0K NOK 417.5K

0.63%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$423 NOK 3,920

0.31%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$32.30 NOK 300

1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$56.9 NOK 528

0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$50.7 NOK 470

18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$38.04 NOK 353

-22.00%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$19.34 NOK 179

1.91%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$247 NOK 2,288

2.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$16.1K NOK 149.4K

0.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$102 NOK 950

1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$135 NOK 1,256

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$160 NOK 1,480

1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$1,229 NOK 11.4K

66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$1,053 NOK 9,764

46.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

46.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$1,724 NOK 16.0K

33.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$6,541 NOK 60.7K

87.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$4,202 NOK 39.0K

70.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

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

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $1,229 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $128 in Oslo vs $130 in Holmestrand. Groceries flip the comparison at $523 vs $519, with Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand wins on cost – living expenses run 19% 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 $5,081 in Oslo and $4,265 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $1,229 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $252 in Oslo versus $247 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Holmestrand is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Holmestrand delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,843 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 19% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.