Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Trondheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $2,827 in Trondheim, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Trondheim
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Trondheim Living Index

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Trondheim

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,827

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skien and in Trondheim

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

A single person spends $2,336 per month in Skien vs $2,827 in Trondheim, rent included.

Skien $2,336
Trondheim $2,827

A couple spends around $3,267 per month in Skien vs $4,156 in Trondheim, rent included.

Skien $3,267
Trondheim $4,156

A family of three spends $4,197 per month in Skien vs $5,485 in Trondheim, rent included.

Skien $4,197
Trondheim $5,485

Skien is about 17% cheaper than Trondheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Skien and Trondheim sit above the global median – Skien by 73%, Trondheim by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$20.78 NOK 196

2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$104 NOK 982

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$15.59 NOK 147

-0.77%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$5.39 NOK 50.7

-5.19%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$5.67 NOK 53.4

-23.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$4.30 NOK 40.47

-30.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$13.06 NOK 123

-8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$12.63 NOK 119

-2.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$2.42 NOK 22.80

-12.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$3.31 NOK 31.20

18.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$3.74 NOK 35.21

22.19%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$4.75 NOK 44.75

19.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$12.99 NOK 122

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$16.19 NOK 152

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$31.12 NOK 293

-29.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$3.94 NOK 37.08

-14.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$2.80 NOK 26.39

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$3.75 NOK 35.35

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$5.45 NOK 51.3

9.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$2.89 NOK 27.16

-22.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$2.97 NOK 27.96

-6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$2.94 NOK 27.63

3.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$2.29 NOK 21.53

8.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$17.27 NOK 163

10.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$18.04 NOK 170

-12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$3.44 NOK 32.42

-2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$4.45 NOK 41.85

-2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$4.66 NOK 43.84

-30.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$99.3 NOK 935

-51.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$9.40 NOK 88.5

18.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$1.61 NOK 15.20

12.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$60.2 NOK 567

17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.40 NOK 22.63

-5.42%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$44.9K NOK 422.5K

5.86%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$45.6K NOK 428.8K

-4.83%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$266 NOK 2,507

-64.76%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$35.59 NOK 335

-4.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$82.3 NOK 775

-34.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$41.67 NOK 392

3.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.68 NOK 374

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$20.51 NOK 193

-25.45%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$298 NOK 2,806

-19.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$4,363 NOK 41.1K

260.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$104 NOK 983

-39.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$49.65 NOK 467

21.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$122 NOK 1,144

-27.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$157 NOK 1,478

-2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$1,442 NOK 13.6K

-27.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$1,123 NOK 10.6K

-13.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$2,193 NOK 20.6K

-52.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$1,675 NOK 15.8K

-43.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$6,306 NOK 59.4K

-46.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$5,032 NOK 47.4K

-37.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$4,145 NOK 39.0K

2.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.32

-17.86%

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

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skien

$975 41.8%

Trondheim

$1.1K 39.7% 15.1% $147

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Trondheim

$499 17.7% 6.4% $30

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Trondheim

$408 14.4% 4.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Trondheim

$384 13.6% 112% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Trondheim

$195 6.9% 18.5% $30

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Trondheim

$135 4.8% 67% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Trondheim

$83 2.9% 12.2% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,042 in Skien versus $1,442 in Trondheim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Skien, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Skien versus $104 in Trondheim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $499 – making Skien the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇳🇴 Trondheim

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

Same time as Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

215,121

💱 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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Skien Trondheim 470 km

From you

Skien
Trondheim

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

Skien vs Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Trondheim is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,504 per month in Skien and $4,241 in Trondheim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skien, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Skien and $104 in Trondheim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,336 in Skien and $2,827 in Trondheim. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Skien, where all-in costs run around $2,336, than in Trondheim at $2,827. In Skien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Trondheim it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skien – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Skien. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Trondheim makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.