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: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,490 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $3,838 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $5,185 in Karmøy.

Living in Oslo is roughly 26% more expensive than Karmøy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Karmøy 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 241

$24.81 NOK 235

2.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,158

$99.6 NOK 941

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 143

$13.60 NOK 129

11.40%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.98

$4.83 NOK 45.66

0.62%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.62

$3.19 NOK 30.20

27.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.17

$2.94 NOK 27.76

8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 114

$9.93 NOK 93.9

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 106

$9.38 NOK 88.7

19.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.63

$2.25 NOK 21.30

6.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.65

$3.32 NOK 31.41

23.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.62

$3.33 NOK 31.49

9.91%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.59

$4.42 NOK 41.83

13.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 127

$12.17 NOK 115

10.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 152

$14.81 NOK 140

8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 291

$28.09 NOK 266

9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 33.04

$3.53 NOK 33.35

-1.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.84

$2.50 NOK 23.61

5.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.71

$3.37 NOK 31.89

-0.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.80

$4.50 NOK 42.53

14.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.97

$2.48 NOK 23.44

-2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.65

$2.50 NOK 23.59

8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.95

$2.76 NOK 26.14

3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 22.11

$1.92 NOK 18.16

21.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 163

$13.83 NOK 131

24.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 179

$18.34 NOK 173

3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.67

$3.26 NOK 30.83

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 41.38

$4.08 NOK 38.61

7.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.70

$4.31 NOK 40.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 736

$72.7 NOK 687

7.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 95.0

$10.02 NOK 94.7

0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.09

$1.45 NOK 13.69

-4.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 399

$46.91 NOK 443

-9.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.60

$2.08 NOK 19.67

4.81%

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

$36.5K NOK 344.8K

$35.1K NOK 331.8K

3.90%

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

$42.7K NOK 403.5K

$39.2K NOK 371.0K

8.76%

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

$304 NOK 2,870

$244 NOK 2,306

24.46%

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

$31.63 NOK 299

$37.96 NOK 359

-16.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 539

$55.4 NOK 523

3.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 546

$49.25 NOK 466

17.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 271

$34.82 NOK 329

-17.75%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 170

$16.76 NOK 158

7.46%

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

$274 NOK 2,588

$282 NOK 2,668

-3.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 137.5K

$10.3K NOK 97.0K

41.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,000

$95.9 NOK 906

10.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 618

$51.7 NOK 488

26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,172

$107 NOK 1,009

16.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,592

$154 NOK 1,451

9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.8K

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

37.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.7K

$877 NOK 8,293

64.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 26.0K

$1,789 NOK 16.9K

53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.5K

$1,532 NOK 14.5K

41.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 113.6K

$6,260 NOK 59.2K

92.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 69.0K

$4,632 NOK 43.8K

57.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.7K

$4,169 NOK 39.4K

5.81%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,219 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 6% 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 $100 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $458 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 26% in total monthly costs ($3,141 vs $2,490 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oslo pays 6% 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 $1,219 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 7% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $282 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,490 in Karmøy versus $3,141 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 26% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.