Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Mandal Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Mandal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,431 in Mandal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $3,864 in Mandal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $5,296 in Mandal.

Living in Oslo is roughly 29% more expensive than Mandal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Mandal 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 237

$25.44 NOK 236

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,138

$124 NOK 1,150

-1.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$15.44 NOK 143

-1.88%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.18

$5.06 NOK 47.04

-3.95%

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

$4.08 NOK 37.95

$3.94 NOK 36.60

3.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.65

$3.28 NOK 30.42

-2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$11.19 NOK 104

7.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 104

$10.14 NOK 94.2

10.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$2.18 NOK 20.21

9.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 37.98

$3.18 NOK 29.55

28.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.02

$4.41 NOK 40.97

-17.01%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.77

$3.09 NOK 28.70

62.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$13.14 NOK 122

2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 149

$16.19 NOK 150

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 286

$27.16 NOK 252

13.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.47

$3.57 NOK 33.16

-2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.41

$2.61 NOK 24.22

0.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.16

$3.02 NOK 28.06

10.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 47.96

$4.62 NOK 42.93

11.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.58

$2.17 NOK 20.19

11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.21

$3.07 NOK 28.51

-11.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.48

$1.56 NOK 14.45

82.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.73

$1.84 NOK 17.10

27.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$15.01 NOK 139

14.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$19.27 NOK 179

-1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.12

$3.02 NOK 28.06

10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.67

$2.85 NOK 26.46

53.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.00

$4.18 NOK 38.81

3.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 723

$72.7 NOK 675

7.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.3

$5.66 NOK 52.6

77.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.86

$1.05 NOK 9.72

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 392

$99.4 NOK 923

-57.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.24

$2.09 NOK 19.45

4.31%

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

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

$34.7K NOK 322.6K

5.03%

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

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

$32.3K NOK 300.2K

32.08%

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

$304 NOK 2,821

$191 NOK 1,771

59.23%

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

$31.63 NOK 294

$32.72 NOK 304

-3.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 530

$80.8 NOK 750

-29.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 537

$49.40 NOK 459

16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 266

$35.73 NOK 332

-19.84%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 167

$19.54 NOK 182

-7.83%

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

$274 NOK 2,543

$313 NOK 2,910

-12.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

$12.9K NOK 119.7K

12.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 983

$117 NOK 1,088

-9.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 608

$59.6 NOK 554

9.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,152

$104 NOK 968

19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,564

$157 NOK 1,463

6.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

$1,229 NOK 11.4K

36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

$911 NOK 8,459

58.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

$1,808 NOK 16.8K

52.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

$1,530 NOK 14.2K

41.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

$5,616 NOK 52.2K

114.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

$4,514 NOK 41.9K

61.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

$4,453 NOK 41.4K

-0.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.51

12.64%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mandal: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,229 in Mandal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Oslo vs $124 in Mandal. Groceries flip the comparison at $500 vs $454, with Mandal cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mandal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mandal earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,671 in Oslo versus $1,229 in Mandal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,141 per month in Oslo versus $2,431 in Mandal – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandal runs roughly 7% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,431 in Mandal versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mandal but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Mandal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mandal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Mandal 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 Mandal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.