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: $3,387 in Oslo versus $2,742 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $4,097 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $5,453 in Karmøy.

Living in Oslo is roughly 24% more expensive than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 146% above, Karmøy 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$21.51 NOK 200

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$106 NOK 979

21.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$15.74 NOK 146

4.45%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$5.61 NOK 52.1

5.17%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$4.25 NOK 39.41

-0.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$3.12 NOK 28.91

14.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$11.61 NOK 108

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$10.87 NOK 101

17.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$2.60 NOK 24.15

-0.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$3.58 NOK 33.21

21.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$3.84 NOK 35.58

20.31%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$5.10 NOK 47.35

20.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

$13.47 NOK 125

9.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$15.21 NOK 141

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$30.51 NOK 283

1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$3.48 NOK 32.33

-3.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$2.66 NOK 24.64

4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$3.46 NOK 32.06

0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$5.23 NOK 48.53

14.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$2.66 NOK 24.65

1.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$2.97 NOK 27.57

-3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$3.11 NOK 28.82

4.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$2.44 NOK 22.64

4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$17.92 NOK 166

8.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$16.56 NOK 154

2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$3.62 NOK 33.61

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$4.30 NOK 39.86

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$4.79 NOK 44.39

3.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$84.6 NOK 785

1.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$12.39 NOK 115

1.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$1.92 NOK 17.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$71.1 NOK 660

-0.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$2.30 NOK 21.31

-1.74%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$48.8K NOK 453.1K

-0.29%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$44.5K NOK 412.5K

1.85%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$275 NOK 2,553

54.02%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$33.22 NOK 308

-1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$57.1 NOK 529

0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$50.4 NOK 468

19.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$37.15 NOK 345

-20.13%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$17.99 NOK 167

9.56%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$245 NOK 2,270

2.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$12.1K NOK 112.5K

33.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$102 NOK 944

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

$57.2 NOK 530

9.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$126 NOK 1,173

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$160 NOK 1,484

1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$1,223 NOK 11.3K

67.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$1,051 NOK 9,752

46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$2,025 NOK 18.8K

49.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$1,683 NOK 15.6K

36.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$6,326 NOK 58.7K

93.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$4,315 NOK 40.0K

65.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

$4,071 NOK 37.8K

12.82%

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 Karmøy: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $1,223 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 13% 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: $128 in Oslo vs $105 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 vs $494 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 24% in total monthly costs ($3,387 vs $2,742 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $1,223 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 2% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $252 in Oslo versus $245 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Karmøy is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 24% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.