Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Tonsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonsberg: $2,630 a month against $3,430 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
Learn more

Oslo Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Tonsberg
Learn more

Tonsberg Living Index

Jump to prices

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,430

/mo nomad

Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oslo and in Tonsberg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,430 in Oslo versus $2,630 in Tonsberg.

Oslo $3,430
Tonsberg $2,630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,957 in Oslo versus $3,815 in Tonsberg.

Oslo $4,957
Tonsberg $3,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,484 in Oslo versus $5,000 in Tonsberg.

Oslo $6,484
Tonsberg $5,000

Living in Oslo is roughly 30% more expensive than in Tonsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 153% above, Tonsberg 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.32 NOK 201

$20.94 NOK 197

1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 NOK 1,185

$105 NOK 991

19.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.06 NOK 151

$15.53 NOK 146

3.41%

Cappuccino

$6.04 NOK 56.8

$5.45 NOK 51.3

10.83%

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

$4.40 NOK 41.42

$5.61 NOK 52.8

-21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.64

$5.37 NOK 50.6

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.70 NOK 110

$11.46 NOK 108

2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.51 NOK 118

$10.27 NOK 96.7

21.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 NOK 23.82

$2.47 NOK 23.28

2.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.35 NOK 40.98

$3.72 NOK 35.01

16.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 43.94

$3.85 NOK 36.24

21.30%

Eggs

$6.08 NOK 57.3

$4.86 NOK 45.78

25.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.19 NOK 143

$12.96 NOK 122

17.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.74 NOK 148

$15.73 NOK 148

0.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.13 NOK 302

$31.41 NOK 296

2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.52

$3.22 NOK 30.33

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.05

$2.57 NOK 24.20

3.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.65

$3.38 NOK 31.79

5.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 NOK 54.6

$4.78 NOK 45.04

21.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 25.66

$2.52 NOK 23.75

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.97

$2.79 NOK 26.26

6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 NOK 29.99

$2.93 NOK 27.54

8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 NOK 22.47

$2.35 NOK 22.15

1.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 NOK 181

$17.24 NOK 162

11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.49 NOK 155

$16.69 NOK 157

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.80

$3.49 NOK 32.82

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.38

$4.14 NOK 38.94

0.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 NOK 44.66

$4.55 NOK 42.80

4.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.8 NOK 789

$84.5 NOK 795

-0.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.15 NOK 114

$11.70 NOK 110

3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.28

$1.78 NOK 16.77

3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.8 NOK 657

$70.5 NOK 664

-1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 NOK 23.15

$2.35 NOK 22.13

4.68%

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

$48.8K NOK 459.3K

$47.7K NOK 448.8K

2.33%

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

$44.4K NOK 418.2K

$43.9K NOK 413.4K

1.15%

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

$422 NOK 3,973

$267 NOK 2,513

58.11%

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

$33.53 NOK 316

$33.09 NOK 312

1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NOK 506

$53.8 NOK 506

-0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 NOK 569

$49.11 NOK 462

23.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.62 NOK 269

$37.03 NOK 349

-22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 188

$17.21 NOK 162

16.15%

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

$236 NOK 2,218

$238 NOK 2,236

-0.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NOK 149.8K

$12.8K NOK 120.8K

24.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 949

$99.7 NOK 938

1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$55.8 NOK 525

8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 NOK 1,284

$123 NOK 1,159

10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,498

$156 NOK 1,469

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 NOK 19.6K

$1,187 NOK 11.2K

75.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 NOK 14.7K

$983 NOK 9,254

58.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 NOK 28.4K

$1,474 NOK 13.9K

105.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,357 NOK 22.2K

$1,277 NOK 12.0K

84.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NOK 112.4K

$6,073 NOK 57.2K

96.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,865 NOK 64.6K

$4,046 NOK 38.1K

69.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,771 NOK 44.9K

$4,435 NOK 41.7K

7.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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 Tonsberg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oslo

$1.6K 45.5%

Tonsberg

$983 37.4% 37% $578

Groceries & Markets

Oslo

$523 15.2%

Tonsberg

$490 18.6% 6.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oslo

$509 14.9%

Tonsberg

$354 13.5% 30.5% $156

Eating Out

Oslo

$406 11.8%

Tonsberg

$401 15.3% 1.2% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Oslo

$205 6%

Tonsberg

$196 7.4% 4.8% $9.9

Getting Around

Oslo

$124 3.6%

Tonsberg

$123 4.7% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Oslo

$100 2.9%

Tonsberg

$84 3.2% 16.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,083 in Oslo and $1,187 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 8% 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 $105 in Tonsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 vs $490 per month, with Tonsberg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Oslo

🇳🇴 Tonsberg

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Oslo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,098,061 Capital

59,237

💱 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 Tonsberg 67 km

From you

Oslo
Tonsberg

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 Tonsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonsberg is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $1,187 in Tonsberg. 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 $2,630 in Tonsberg – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tonsberg runs roughly 1% 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. Tonsberg is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.