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: $3,200 in Oslo versus $2,422 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,586 in Oslo versus $3,792 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,972 in Oslo versus $5,161 in Karmøy.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 139% above, Karmøy 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.54 NOK 238

$25.28 NOK 235

1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,118

$102 NOK 945

18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 NOK 143

$13.41 NOK 125

14.54%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 46.98

$4.88 NOK 45.36

3.48%

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

$4.02 NOK 37.34

$3.12 NOK 29.04

28.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.59

$2.85 NOK 26.51

15.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.26 NOK 114

$10.03 NOK 93.2

22.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.98 NOK 102

$9.37 NOK 87.1

17.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.30

$2.19 NOK 20.38

9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 NOK 38.21

$3.37 NOK 31.37

21.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.42

$3.20 NOK 29.75

9.06%

Eggs

$5.17 NOK 48.05

$4.32 NOK 40.17

19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 NOK 126

$11.83 NOK 110

14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.39 NOK 152

$14.67 NOK 136

11.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 292

$28.42 NOK 264

10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.90

$3.47 NOK 32.25

2.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.23

$2.46 NOK 22.85

1.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.11

$3.25 NOK 30.20

6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 46.01

$4.34 NOK 40.36

14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 22.98

$2.44 NOK 22.73

1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.36

$2.58 NOK 24.01

1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.47

$2.79 NOK 25.93

2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 NOK 22.28

$1.88 NOK 17.52

27.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.01 NOK 158

$13.77 NOK 128

23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.81 NOK 175

$18.22 NOK 169

3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.31

$3.35 NOK 31.12

3.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.30

$3.93 NOK 36.57

10.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.02

$4.28 NOK 39.80

-1.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.8 NOK 724

$73.7 NOK 686

5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 94.9

$10.28 NOK 95.6

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.82

$1.40 NOK 13.06

-1.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.32 NOK 394

$47.28 NOK 440

-10.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.84

$2.00 NOK 18.57

12.00%

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

$36.1K NOK 335.5K

$34.8K NOK 323.6K

3.67%

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

$42.8K NOK 397.7K

$38.2K NOK 355.1K

12.00%

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

$296 NOK 2,748

$238 NOK 2,210

24.38%

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

$31.62 NOK 294

$37.95 NOK 353

-16.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 522

$54.9 NOK 510

2.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 519

$50.2 NOK 467

11.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.63 NOK 266

$34.73 NOK 323

-17.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 NOK 167

$16.37 NOK 152

9.84%

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

$269 NOK 2,503

$287 NOK 2,674

-6.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 135.8K

$10.0K NOK 93.2K

45.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 947

$95.6 NOK 889

6.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 NOK 613

$51.9 NOK 483

27.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$109 NOK 1,011

14.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$151 NOK 1,401

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 NOK 16.1K

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

43.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 NOK 13.6K

$903 NOK 8,396

61.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 NOK 25.2K

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

51.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 NOK 20.2K

$1,549 NOK 14.4K

40.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K NOK 105.1K

$5,458 NOK 50.8K

107.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,682 NOK 71.4K

$4,019 NOK 37.4K

91.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,467 NOK 41.5K

$3,995 NOK 37.2K

11.81%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,727 in Oslo and $1,206 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 12% 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 $102 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $454 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 ($3,200 vs $2,422 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oslo pays 12% 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: $1,727 in Oslo versus $1,206 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 6% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $269 in Oslo versus $287 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 32% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.