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: $3,482 in Oslo versus $2,864 in Mandal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,887 in Oslo versus $4,253 in Mandal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,292 in Oslo versus $5,642 in Mandal.

Living in Oslo is roughly 22% more expensive than in Mandal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 153% above, Mandal 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 NOK 200

$26.02 NOK 242

-17.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,181

$97.5 NOK 906

30.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.83 NOK 147

$15.79 NOK 147

0.25%

Cappuccino

$6.01 NOK 55.8

$6.58 NOK 61.1

-8.66%

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

$4.17 NOK 38.71

$5.54 NOK 51.4

-24.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 NOK 31.81

$4.41 NOK 40.94

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.58 NOK 108

$13.96 NOK 130

-17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.62 NOK 117

$12.33 NOK 114

2.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 NOK 23.89

$2.29 NOK 21.23

12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 NOK 40.04

$3.74 NOK 34.75

15.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 42.61

$3.92 NOK 36.42

17.09%

Eggs

$5.96 NOK 55.4

$3.30 NOK 30.66

80.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.97 NOK 139

$14.06 NOK 131

6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.70 NOK 146

$16.95 NOK 157

-7.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.01 NOK 279

$35.88 NOK 333

-16.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.33

$3.72 NOK 34.57

-6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.82

$2.91 NOK 26.99

-8.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.67

$3.57 NOK 33.19

1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 NOK 55.4

$4.96 NOK 46.08

20.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.48

$2.55 NOK 23.66

7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.30

$3.21 NOK 29.80

-8.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.21 NOK 29.80

$1.58 NOK 14.67

103.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 NOK 22.79

$2.30 NOK 21.38

6.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$18.16 NOK 169

6.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 154

$18.57 NOK 172

-10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.15

$3.11 NOK 28.92

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NOK 39.85

$3.11 NOK 28.87

37.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 NOK 46.00

$4.91 NOK 45.60

0.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 NOK 776

$80.7 NOK 749

3.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 NOK 112

$5.91 NOK 54.9

104.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.82

$1.26 NOK 11.69

52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.7 NOK 666

$105 NOK 979

-31.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.10

$2.20 NOK 20.44

3.18%

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

$50.0K NOK 464.3K

$49.4K NOK 459.0K

1.17%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.2K

$42.4K NOK 393.6K

6.77%

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

$431 NOK 4,001

$247 NOK 2,292

74.52%

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

$32.70 NOK 304

$34.96 NOK 325

-6.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NOK 526

$82.7 NOK 768

-31.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 NOK 553

$50.7 NOK 471

17.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 NOK 268

$34.96 NOK 325

-17.31%

Cinema Ticket

$19.06 NOK 177

$21.98 NOK 204

-13.28%

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

$251 NOK 2,335

$329 NOK 3,055

-23.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K NOK 147.0K

$14.5K NOK 134.3K

9.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 952

$130 NOK 1,212

-21.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 576

$60.7 NOK 563

2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,283

$155 NOK 1,443

-11.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,492

$202 NOK 1,877

-20.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 NOK 19.3K

$1,284 NOK 11.9K

61.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NOK 14.6K

$1,123 NOK 10.4K

40.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 NOK 28.3K

$2,207 NOK 20.5K

37.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 NOK 20.9K

$1,744 NOK 16.2K

29.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K NOK 112.6K

$6,510 NOK 60.4K

86.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,880 NOK 63.9K

$4,359 NOK 40.5K

57.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,469 NOK 41.5K

$4,421 NOK 41.0K

1.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.27

-5.88%

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

Last update for Oslo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mandal: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,079 in Oslo and $1,284 in Mandal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 1% 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: $127 in Oslo vs $98.0 in Mandal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $518 vs $506 per month, with Mandal 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 Mandal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $2,079 in Oslo versus $1,284 in Mandal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,482 per month in Oslo versus $2,864 in Mandal – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandal runs roughly 4% 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 22% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.