Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Kongsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Kongsberg: $2,705 a month against $3,430 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oslo
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,430
/mo nomad
Kongsberg
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,705
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oslo and in Kongsberg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oslo and in Kongsberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,430 per month in Oslo vs $2,705 in Kongsberg, rent included.

  • Oslo $3,430
  • Kongsberg $2,705

A couple spends around $4,957 per month in Oslo vs $3,960 in Kongsberg, rent included.

  • Oslo $4,957
  • Kongsberg $3,960

A family of three spends $6,484 per month in Oslo vs $5,216 in Kongsberg, rent included.

  • Oslo $6,484
  • Kongsberg $5,216

Oslo costs about 27% more than Kongsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oslo and Kongsberg sit above the global median – Oslo by 153%, Kongsberg by 100%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.32 NOK 201
$21.42 NOK 202
-0.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$126 NOK 1,185
$75.5 NOK 710
66.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.06 NOK 151
$15.62 NOK 147
2.82%
Cappuccino
$6.04 NOK 56.8
$5.22 NOK 49.10
15.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.40 NOK 41.42
$4.24 NOK 39.90
3.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 NOK 32.64
$3.50 NOK 32.96
-0.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.70 NOK 110
$11.55 NOK 109
1.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.51 NOK 118
$10.57 NOK 99.5
18.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 NOK 23.82
$2.50 NOK 23.53
1.20%
White Bread (500g)
$4.35 NOK 40.98
$3.20 NOK 30.10
35.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.67 NOK 43.94
$4.70 NOK 44.21
-0.64%
Eggs
$6.08 NOK 57.3
$4.94 NOK 46.53
23.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.19 NOK 143
$10.99 NOK 103
38.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.74 NOK 148
$12.56 NOK 118
25.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$32.13 NOK 302
$18.68 NOK 176
72.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.35 NOK 31.52
$3.29 NOK 31.02
1.82%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 NOK 25.05
$2.75 NOK 25.87
-3.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.57 NOK 33.65
$3.51 NOK 33.05
1.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.80 NOK 54.6
$5.06 NOK 47.59
14.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.73 NOK 25.66
$2.64 NOK 24.81
3.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.97 NOK 27.97
$2.52 NOK 23.77
17.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.19 NOK 29.99
$3.08 NOK 28.97
3.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 NOK 22.47
$2.50 NOK 23.55
-4.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.26 NOK 181
$18.01 NOK 170
6.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.49 NOK 155
$15.69 NOK 148
5.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.48 NOK 32.80
$3.60 NOK 33.93
-3.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 NOK 39.38
$3.88 NOK 36.50
7.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.74 NOK 44.66
$3.12 NOK 29.33
51.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.8 NOK 789
$95.3 NOK 897
-12.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.15 NOK 114
$11.92 NOK 112
1.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 NOK 17.28
$1.90 NOK 17.92
-3.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$69.8 NOK 657
$31.42 NOK 296
122.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 NOK 23.15
$2.36 NOK 22.25
4.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.8K NOK 459.3K
$48.1K NOK 452.9K
1.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.4K NOK 418.2K
$45.0K NOK 423.6K
-1.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$422 NOK 3,973
$319 NOK 3,004
32.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.53 NOK 316
$28.18 NOK 265
18.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.7 NOK 506
$53.5 NOK 503
0.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.5 NOK 569
$46.87 NOK 441
28.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.62 NOK 269
$56.1 NOK 528
-48.97%
Cinema Ticket
$19.99 NOK 188
$19.88 NOK 187
0.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$236 NOK 2,218
$235 NOK 2,212
0.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K NOK 149.8K
$3,896 NOK 36.7K
308.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 NOK 949
$92.2 NOK 868
9.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.4 NOK 568
$53.8 NOK 506
12.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 NOK 1,284
$137 NOK 1,292
-0.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 NOK 1,498
$156 NOK 1,465
2.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,083 NOK 19.6K
$1,090 NOK 10.3K
91.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,561 NOK 14.7K
$1,068 NOK 10.1K
46.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,022 NOK 28.4K
$2,003 NOK 18.9K
50.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,357 NOK 22.2K
$1,726 NOK 16.2K
36.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.9K NOK 112.4K
$6,204 NOK 58.4K
92.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,865 NOK 64.6K
$4,232 NOK 39.8K
62.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oslo
Kongsberg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,771 NOK 44.9K
$3,568 NOK 33.6K
33.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.94
4.94
-

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

Last update for Oslo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oslo
$1.6K
Kongsberg
$1.1K 31.6% $493
Groceries & Markets
Oslo
$523
Kongsberg
$432 17.4% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oslo
$509
Kongsberg
$401 21.3% $109
Eating Out
Oslo
$406
Kongsberg
$391 3.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Oslo
$205
Kongsberg
$197 3.9% $8
Getting Around
Oslo
$124
Kongsberg
$129 4.1% $5.1
Sport & Entertainment
Oslo
$100
Kongsberg
$87 13.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,083 in Oslo versus $1,090 in Kongsberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Oslo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $126 in Oslo versus $75.0 in Kongsberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $523 vs $432 – making Kongsberg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Oslo
🇳🇴 Kongsberg
🕒 Local time
19:00 7:00 PM
19:00 7:00 PM
Same time as Oslo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,098,061 Capital
28,878
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oslo Kongsberg 70 km
From you
  • Oslo
  • Kongsberg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kongsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kongsberg cheaper than Oslo?
Yes – Oslo is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,144 per month in Oslo and $4,057 in Kongsberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kongsberg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Oslo and in Kongsberg?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,430 in Oslo and $2,705 in Kongsberg. That's a gap of about 27%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 14% less in Kongsberg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Oslo or in Kongsberg?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Kongsberg, where all-in costs run around $2,705, than in Oslo at $3,430. In Kongsberg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oslo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Oslo or Kongsberg more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kongsberg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Oslo or Kongsberg?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kongsberg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oslo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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