Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,702 in Tonsberg versus $3,482 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,937 in Tonsberg versus $4,887 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,172 in Tonsberg versus $6,292 in Oslo.

Living in Tonsberg costs roughly 22% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tonsberg 97% above, Oslo 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.99 NOK 195

$21.52 NOK 200

-2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 997

$127 NOK 1,184

-15.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.96 NOK 148

$15.83 NOK 147

0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 51.6

$6.01 NOK 55.9

-7.65%

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

$5.73 NOK 53.3

$4.17 NOK 38.81

37.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 NOK 50.5

$3.43 NOK 31.88

58.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 111

$11.58 NOK 108

3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.77 NOK 100

$12.62 NOK 117

-14.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.21

$2.57 NOK 23.94

-11.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 NOK 33.33

$4.31 NOK 40.13

-16.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 NOK 41.17

$4.59 NOK 42.71

-3.70%

Eggs

$4.87 NOK 45.36

$5.96 NOK 55.5

-18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 NOK 108

$14.97 NOK 139

-22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 NOK 140

$15.70 NOK 146

-3.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.62 NOK 313

$30.01 NOK 279

12.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 NOK 28.19

$3.48 NOK 32.41

-12.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 21.87

$2.67 NOK 24.88

-11.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.39

$3.63 NOK 33.75

-15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.0

$5.97 NOK 55.6

-4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.76

$2.74 NOK 25.54

-6.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 26.73

$2.94 NOK 27.36

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.14

$3.21 NOK 29.87

-5.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 NOK 19.40

$2.46 NOK 22.85

-15.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.36 NOK 152

$19.43 NOK 181

-15.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 NOK 177

$16.63 NOK 155

14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.70 NOK 34.44

$3.46 NOK 32.23

6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.15

$4.29 NOK 39.95

-4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 NOK 45.82

$4.95 NOK 46.10

-0.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 NOK 790

$83.6 NOK 778

1.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 NOK 97.1

$12.10 NOK 113

-13.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NOK 16.28

$1.92 NOK 17.86

-8.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.6 NOK 722

$71.7 NOK 668

8.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 NOK 24.45

$2.27 NOK 21.15

15.86%

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

$46.2K NOK 430.4K

$50.0K NOK 465.4K

-7.53%

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

$40.9K NOK 381.0K

$45.3K NOK 421.2K

-9.54%

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

$278 NOK 2,584

$431 NOK 4,010

-35.57%

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

$32.56 NOK 303

$32.70 NOK 304

-0.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 NOK 520

$56.7 NOK 528

-1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.71 NOK 453

$59.6 NOK 555

-18.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.76 NOK 398

$28.91 NOK 269

47.91%

Cinema Ticket

$18.06 NOK 168

$19.06 NOK 177

-5.25%

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

$233 NOK 2,170

$251 NOK 2,340

-7.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NOK 107.2K

$15.8K NOK 147.4K

-27.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NOK 837

$103 NOK 955

-12.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 NOK 582

$62.1 NOK 578

0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 NOK 1,338

$138 NOK 1,286

4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,341

$161 NOK 1,496

-10.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 NOK 11.5K

$2,079 NOK 19.3K

-40.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 NOK 9,258

$1,577 NOK 14.7K

-36.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 NOK 14.1K

$3,043 NOK 28.3K

-50.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 NOK 12.0K

$2,251 NOK 20.9K

-42.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,490 NOK 60.4K

$12.1K NOK 112.9K

-46.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,779 NOK 44.5K

$6,880 NOK 64.0K

-30.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,667 NOK 43.4K

$4,469 NOK 41.6K

4.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

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

Last update for Tonsberg: August 29, 2026

Last update for Oslo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Tonsberg and $2,079 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $107 in Tonsberg vs $127 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $518 per month, with Tonsberg 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

Tonsberg vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonsberg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Tonsberg, 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: $1,239 in Tonsberg versus $2,079 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,702 per month in Tonsberg versus $3,482 in Oslo – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tonsberg runs roughly 2% 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, Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.