Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Karmøy Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Karmøy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,214 in Oslo versus $2,436 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,677 in Oslo versus $3,783 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,139 in Oslo versus $5,130 in Karmøy.

Living in Oslo is roughly 32% more expensive than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 141% above, Karmøy 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 NOK 241

$25.53 NOK 245

-1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,146

$101 NOK 971

18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.42 NOK 148

$13.68 NOK 131

12.72%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.95

$5.01 NOK 48.06

-2.20%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.32

$3.18 NOK 30.52

28.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 32.09

$2.81 NOK 26.92

19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.14 NOK 116

$10.17 NOK 97.6

19.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.99 NOK 105

$9.45 NOK 90.7

16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.67

$2.19 NOK 21.03

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 NOK 40.06

$3.41 NOK 32.74

22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 34.76

$3.31 NOK 31.74

9.37%

Eggs

$5.14 NOK 49.29

$4.32 NOK 41.41

18.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 NOK 127

$12.23 NOK 117

8.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.96 NOK 153

$14.75 NOK 141

8.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.50 NOK 302

$27.84 NOK 267

13.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 34.20

$3.47 NOK 33.25

2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 25.05

$2.49 NOK 23.88

4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.02

$3.33 NOK 31.90

3.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 NOK 48.41

$4.49 NOK 43.04

12.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.68

$2.40 NOK 23.07

2.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 25.43

$2.45 NOK 23.53

8.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 27.71

$2.82 NOK 27.08

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.57

$1.85 NOK 17.73

27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.03 NOK 163

$14.12 NOK 135

20.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 NOK 177

$17.83 NOK 171

3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 NOK 32.30

$3.45 NOK 33.11

-2.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 42.11

$4.11 NOK 39.38

6.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 NOK 39.72

$4.16 NOK 39.91

-0.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 NOK 753

$72.5 NOK 696

8.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 NOK 96.7

$10.09 NOK 96.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 NOK 13.73

$1.39 NOK 13.36

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.77 NOK 401

$45.94 NOK 441

-9.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.83

$2.09 NOK 20.07

9.09%

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

$36.7K NOK 351.6K

$35.7K NOK 342.0K

2.80%

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

$42.9K NOK 411.8K

$38.7K NOK 371.3K

10.91%

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

$296 NOK 2,837

$240 NOK 2,301

23.30%

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

$30.61 NOK 294

$37.78 NOK 362

-18.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 541

$55.0 NOK 528

2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 536

$50.1 NOK 480

11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 NOK 281

$35.57 NOK 341

-17.77%

Cinema Ticket

$18.50 NOK 177

$16.74 NOK 161

10.51%

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

$265 NOK 2,544

$282 NOK 2,708

-6.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 141.8K

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

45.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 980

$96.1 NOK 922

6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 NOK 621

$52.7 NOK 506

22.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,199

$107 NOK 1,028

16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,574

$150 NOK 1,440

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 NOK 16.6K

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 14.0K

$900 NOK 8,634

62.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 NOK 25.6K

$1,823 NOK 17.5K

46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.9K

$1,555 NOK 14.9K

40.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K NOK 112.1K

$5,139 NOK 49.3K

127.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,104 NOK 68.1K

$3,582 NOK 34.3K

98.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 NOK 40.5K

$4,029 NOK 38.6K

4.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.38

15.98%

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

Last update for Oslo: July 19, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Oslo and $1,192 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 5% 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 Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $455 per month, with Karmøy 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 Karmøy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oslo and Karmøy differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($3,214 vs $2,436 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,728 in Oslo versus $1,192 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Karmøy runs roughly 8% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $265 in Oslo versus $282 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,436 in Karmøy versus $3,214 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Karmøy but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Karmøy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Karmøy 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 Karmøy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.