Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Mandal

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandal: $2,746 a month against $3,430 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oslo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

167

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
Learn more

Oslo Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Mandal
Learn more

Mandal Living Index

Jump to prices

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,430

/mo nomad

Mandal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oslo and in Mandal

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 Mandal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,430 in Oslo versus $2,746 in Mandal.

Oslo $3,430
Mandal $2,746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,957 in Oslo versus $4,159 in Mandal.

Oslo $4,957
Mandal $4,159

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,484 in Oslo versus $5,572 in Mandal.

Oslo $6,484
Mandal $5,572

Living in Oslo is roughly 25% more expensive than in Mandal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 153% above, Mandal 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.32 NOK 201

$24.98 NOK 235

-14.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 NOK 1,185

$97.4 NOK 917

29.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.06 NOK 151

$15.46 NOK 146

3.88%

Cappuccino

$6.04 NOK 56.8

$6.31 NOK 59.4

-4.28%

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

$4.40 NOK 41.42

$5.45 NOK 51.3

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.64

$4.23 NOK 39.80

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.70 NOK 110

$13.41 NOK 126

-12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.51 NOK 118

$12.21 NOK 115

2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 NOK 23.82

$2.18 NOK 20.54

16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.35 NOK 40.98

$3.62 NOK 34.08

20.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 43.94

$3.89 NOK 36.58

20.05%

Eggs

$6.08 NOK 57.3

$3.05 NOK 28.73

99.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.19 NOK 143

$13.77 NOK 130

10.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.74 NOK 148

$16.46 NOK 155

-4.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.13 NOK 302

$35.09 NOK 330

-8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.52

$3.46 NOK 32.60

-3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.05

$2.69 NOK 25.34

-1.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.65

$3.52 NOK 33.10

1.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 NOK 54.6

$4.91 NOK 46.23

18.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 25.66

$2.51 NOK 23.62

8.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.97

$2.98 NOK 28.06

-0.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 NOK 29.99

$1.56 NOK 14.68

104.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 NOK 22.47

$2.37 NOK 22.27

0.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 NOK 181

$17.25 NOK 162

11.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.49 NOK 155

$18.28 NOK 172

-9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.80

$3.11 NOK 29.31

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.38

$2.88 NOK 27.15

45.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 NOK 44.66

$4.51 NOK 42.47

5.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.8 NOK 789

$86.3 NOK 812

-2.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.15 NOK 114

$5.70 NOK 53.7

113.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.28

$1.18 NOK 11.12

55.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.8 NOK 657

$104 NOK 982

-33.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 NOK 23.15

$2.16 NOK 20.31

13.89%

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

$48.8K NOK 459.3K

$47.8K NOK 450.4K

1.99%

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

$44.4K NOK 418.2K

$40.9K NOK 385.2K

8.58%

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

$422 NOK 3,973

$239 NOK 2,246

76.93%

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

$33.53 NOK 316

$34.04 NOK 320

-1.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NOK 506

$82.6 NOK 778

-34.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 NOK 569

$50.1 NOK 471

20.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.62 NOK 269

$36.05 NOK 339

-20.61%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 188

$21.25 NOK 200

-5.93%

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

$236 NOK 2,218

$319 NOK 3,000

-26.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NOK 149.8K

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

11.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 949

$124 NOK 1,169

-18.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$60.0 NOK 565

0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 NOK 1,284

$153 NOK 1,437

-10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,498

$197 NOK 1,850

-19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 NOK 19.6K

$1,207 NOK 11.4K

72.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 NOK 14.7K

$997 NOK 9,389

56.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 NOK 28.4K

$1,971 NOK 18.6K

53.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,357 NOK 22.2K

$1,667 NOK 15.7K

41.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NOK 112.4K

$6,165 NOK 58.0K

93.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,865 NOK 64.6K

$4,019 NOK 37.8K

70.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,771 NOK 44.9K

$4,319 NOK 40.7K

10.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.27

-6.26%

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

Last update for Oslo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mandal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Oslo

$1.6K 45.5%

Mandal

$997 36.3% 36.1% $564

Groceries & Markets

Oslo

$523 15.2%

Mandal

$493 17.9% 5.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oslo

$509 14.9%

Mandal

$355 12.9% 30.3% $154

Eating Out

Oslo

$406 11.8%

Mandal

$452 16.5% 11.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Oslo

$205 6%

Mandal

$240 8.7% 16.8% $35

Getting Around

Oslo

$124 3.6%

Mandal

$116 4.2% 6.6% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Oslo

$100 2.9%

Mandal

$93 3.4% 7.8% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,083 in Oslo and $1,207 in Mandal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 10% 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: $126 in Oslo vs $97.0 in Mandal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 vs $493 per month, with Mandal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Oslo

🇳🇴 Mandal

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

Same time as Oslo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,098,061 Capital

11,477

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oslo Mandal 280 km

From you

Oslo
Mandal

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 Mandal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $2,083 in Oslo versus $1,207 in Mandal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,430 per month in Oslo versus $2,746 in Mandal – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandal runs roughly 3% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Mandal is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 25% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.