Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Oslo

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $3,427 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
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Oslo Living Index

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skien and in Oslo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Skien and in Oslo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Skien versus $3,427 in Oslo.

Skien $2,336
Oslo $3,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Skien versus $4,942 in Oslo.

Skien $3,267
Oslo $4,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,197 in Skien versus $6,457 in Oslo.

Skien $4,197
Oslo $6,457

Living in Skien costs roughly 32% less than in Oslo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 73% above, Oslo 154% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$20.56 NOK 194

3.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$126 NOK 1,185

-18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$15.56 NOK 146

-0.58%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$5.83 NOK 54.9

-12.35%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$4.32 NOK 40.70

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$3.33 NOK 31.39

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$11.46 NOK 108

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$12.30 NOK 116

0.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$2.45 NOK 23.11

-13.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$4.20 NOK 39.55

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$4.76 NOK 44.80

-3.99%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$5.79 NOK 54.5

-2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$14.59 NOK 137

-9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$15.42 NOK 145

-1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$31.00 NOK 292

-29.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$3.34 NOK 31.43

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$2.66 NOK 25.05

1.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$3.39 NOK 31.95

2.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$5.76 NOK 54.3

3.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$2.70 NOK 25.43

-17.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$2.87 NOK 26.99

-3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$3.18 NOK 29.90

-4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$2.35 NOK 22.17

5.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$19.05 NOK 179

-0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$16.27 NOK 153

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$3.48 NOK 32.79

-3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$4.15 NOK 39.09

4.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$4.70 NOK 44.24

-30.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$80.2 NOK 755

-40.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$12.10 NOK 114

-8.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$1.80 NOK 16.94

0.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$69.3 NOK 652

2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.35 NOK 22.10

-3.40%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$48.1K NOK 453.1K

-1.29%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$43.8K NOK 412.4K

-1.03%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$425 NOK 3,999

-77.91%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$33.77 NOK 318

0.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$53.7 NOK 505

-0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$59.8 NOK 563

-27.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 NOK 275

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$20.11 NOK 189

-23.97%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$238 NOK 2,237

0.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$15.5K NOK 145.6K

1.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$101 NOK 949

-36.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$58.8 NOK 554

2.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$135 NOK 1,271

-34.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$157 NOK 1,474

-2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$2,018 NOK 19.0K

-48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$1,587 NOK 14.9K

-38.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$2,978 NOK 28.0K

-65.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$2,397 NOK 22.6K

-60.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$11.7K NOK 110.2K

-71.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$6,719 NOK 63.3K

-53.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$4,687 NOK 44.1K

-9.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

4.94

-11.54%

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

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Last update for Oslo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skien

$975 41.8%

Oslo

$1.6K 46.3% 62.7% $611

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Oslo

$511 14.9% 8.8% $41

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Oslo

$394 11.5% 0.7% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Oslo

$512 15% 183% $331

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Oslo

$203 5.9% 23.6% $39

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Oslo

$120 3.5% 48.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Oslo

$100 2.9% 35.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,042 in Skien and $2,018 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 11% 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: $103 in Skien vs $126 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $511 per month, with Skien cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇳🇴 Oslo

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

Same time as Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

1,098,061 Capital

💱 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

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From you

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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

Skien vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skien is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Oslo. 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: $1,042 in Skien versus $2,018 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,336 per month in Skien versus $3,427 in Oslo – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Skien runs roughly 67% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,336 in Skien versus $3,427 in Oslo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Skien but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Skien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skien 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, Skien and Oslo 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 Skien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.