Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerville, MA and Trondheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerville, MA and Trondheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,409 in Somerville, MA versus $2,990 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,301 in Somerville, MA versus $4,295 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,193 in Somerville, MA versus $5,599 in Trondheim.

Living in Somerville, MA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Somerville, MA 221% above, Trondheim 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.54 $24.54

$21.21 NOK 198

15.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 $96.5

$108 NOK 1,007

-10.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.30 $13.30

$16.17 NOK 151

-17.75%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$5.58 NOK 52.0

-2.87%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$5.81 NOK 54.1

-48.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.33 NOK 40.33

-45.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$13.61 NOK 127

-40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$13.10 NOK 122

-30.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.60 NOK 24.23

-58.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 $4.28

$3.59 NOK 33.49

19.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.83 NOK 35.69

41.78%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$5.06 NOK 47.17

-3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.01 $15.01

$13.32 NOK 124

12.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$16.56 NOK 154

-15.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$32.75 NOK 305

-45.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.97 NOK 37.00

73.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.03 NOK 28.23

-37.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.92 NOK 36.51

43.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$5.64 NOK 52.6

19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.88 NOK 26.86

-22.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.10 NOK 28.92

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.99 NOK 27.87

-3.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.35 NOK 21.89

24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.19 $13.19

$17.92 NOK 167

-26.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 $13.32

$19.02 NOK 177

-29.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.73 NOK 34.72

-42.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.52 NOK 42.13

-9.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.76 NOK 44.36

-52.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.8 $89.8

$102 NOK 955

-12.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$9.75 NOK 90.8

-73.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.65 NOK 15.36

3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 $27.71

$59.9 NOK 558

-53.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.30 NOK 21.43

-56.09%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$45.8K NOK 426.6K

-18.55%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$46.7K NOK 435.2K

-43.40%

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

$262 $262

$276 NOK 2,573

-5.13%

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

$74.7 $74.7

$36.40 NOK 339

105.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 $82.6

$83.3 NOK 776

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$43.49 NOK 405

134.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.47 NOK 386

Cinema Ticket

$15.74 $15.74

$21.11 NOK 197

-25.44%

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

$1,803 $1,803

$303 NOK 2,822

495.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$4,410 NOK 41.1K

568.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$110 NOK 1,025

-47.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 $39.90

$51.5 NOK 480

-22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$125 NOK 1,162

-11.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$158 NOK 1,468

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,836 $2,836

$1,508 NOK 14.0K

88.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,646 $2,646

$1,209 NOK 11.3K

118.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,619 $4,619

$2,241 NOK 20.9K

106.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,520 $4,520

$1,685 NOK 15.7K

168.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,464 $7,464

$6,577 NOK 61.3K

13.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,568 $5,568

$5,047 NOK 47.0K

10.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,345 $5,345

$4,203 NOK 39.2K

27.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

5.32

18.05%

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

Last update for Somerville, MA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,836 in Somerville, MA and $1,508 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerville, MA pays 27% 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: $97.0 in Somerville, MA vs $108 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $469 vs $521 per month, with Somerville, MA 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

Somerville, MA vs Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerville, MA and Trondheim differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($4,409 vs $2,990 including rent). Trondheim is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Somerville, MA, 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: $2,836 in Somerville, MA versus $1,508 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,803 in Somerville, MA versus $303 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Somerville, MA pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Trondheim is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Somerville, MA and Trondheim 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 Trondheim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Somerville, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.