Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Tromso Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Tromso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,387 in Oslo versus $3,207 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $4,683 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $6,158 in Tromso.

Living in Oslo is roughly 6% more expensive than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 146% above, Tromso 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$35.31 NOK 328

-39.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$109 NOK 1,007

17.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$16.16 NOK 150

1.73%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$6.89 NOK 64.0

-14.37%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$4.87 NOK 45.15

-12.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$3.74 NOK 34.69

-4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$12.76 NOK 118

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$14.21 NOK 132

-9.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$2.49 NOK 23.11

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$3.50 NOK 32.44

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$4.14 NOK 38.40

11.59%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$5.27 NOK 48.93

16.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

$12.44 NOK 115

18.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$15.21 NOK 141

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$42.53 NOK 395

-27.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$4.22 NOK 39.14

-20.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$3.07 NOK 28.50

-9.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$5.35 NOK 49.61

-35.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$6.40 NOK 59.4

-6.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$3.54 NOK 32.82

-24.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$5.08 NOK 47.11

-43.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$3.12 NOK 28.93

4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$2.18 NOK 20.20

17.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$16.38 NOK 152

18.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$16.47 NOK 153

3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$4.06 NOK 37.62

-11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$4.77 NOK 44.28

-9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$5.06 NOK 46.94

-1.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$69.2 NOK 642

24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$16.36 NOK 152

-23.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$2.13 NOK 19.76

-9.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$57.6 NOK 534

22.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$2.27 NOK 21.02

-0.44%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$49.6K NOK 460.4K

-1.88%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$45.6K NOK 422.8K

-0.63%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$266 NOK 2,471

59.11%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$51.3 NOK 476

-36.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$86.2 NOK 799

-33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$51.9 NOK 481

16.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$47.90 NOK 444

-38.06%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$17.98 NOK 167

9.62%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$329 NOK 3,048

-23.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$7,733 NOK 71.7K

109.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$68.1 NOK 632

52.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

$35.40 NOK 328

77.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$149 NOK 1,385

-9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$165 NOK 1,532

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$1,558 NOK 14.5K

31.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$1,296 NOK 12.0K

19.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$2,781 NOK 25.8K

8.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$2,039 NOK 18.9K

12.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$7,137 NOK 66.2K

71.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$5,526 NOK 51.3K

29.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

$4,292 NOK 39.8K

7.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.01

-1.00%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tromso: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $1,558 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 7% 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: $128 in Oslo vs $109 in Tromso. Groceries flip the comparison at $523 vs $554, with Oslo 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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tromso is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $1,558 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,387 per month in Oslo versus $3,207 in Tromso – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tromso runs roughly 25% 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 $2,000. Tromso is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tromso 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 Tromso 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 Tromso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.