Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,745 in Trondheim versus $2,203 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,170 in Trondheim versus $3,348 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,595 in Trondheim versus $4,494 in Arendal.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 25% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 106% above, Arendal 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.21 NOK 213

$17.89 NOK 172

24.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,175

$74.8 NOK 717

63.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 NOK 139

$15.38 NOK 148

-6.11%

Cappuccino

$4.82 NOK 46.28

$5.16 NOK 49.49

-6.59%

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

$3.67 NOK 35.25

$3.29 NOK 31.56

11.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.67

$3.08 NOK 29.52

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.80 NOK 104

$11.02 NOK 106

-2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.45 NOK 110

$9.95 NOK 95.5

15.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 24.07

$2.41 NOK 23.09

4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 NOK 34.98

$3.17 NOK 30.41

15.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 37.05

$3.68 NOK 35.30

4.89%

Eggs

$4.59 NOK 44.00

$4.33 NOK 41.56

6.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 NOK 117

$13.30 NOK 128

-8.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 143

$15.42 NOK 148

-3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.37 NOK 272

$27.89 NOK 268

1.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 36.18

$3.47 NOK 33.26

8.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.54

$2.54 NOK 24.37

16.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.29

$3.12 NOK 29.90

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 NOK 48.05

$4.83 NOK 46.31

3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.53

$2.08 NOK 19.91

42.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.88

$2.95 NOK 28.33

9.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 NOK 30.68

$2.61 NOK 25.02

22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.95

$1.80 NOK 17.28

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.41 NOK 148

$15.08 NOK 145

2.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 NOK 177

$17.78 NOK 171

3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 35.09

$3.36 NOK 32.24

8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 NOK 46.40

$4.02 NOK 38.52

20.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 NOK 43.88

$3.81 NOK 36.51

19.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 NOK 899

$106 NOK 1,021

-11.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 148

$8.29 NOK 79.5

85.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 NOK 21.65

$2.05 NOK 19.71

10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.5 NOK 858

$30.83 NOK 296

190.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.29

$2.06 NOK 19.80

2.91%

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

$32.4K NOK 310.4K

$34.7K NOK 332.7K

-6.71%

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

$43.1K NOK 413.7K

$33.3K NOK 319.9K

29.34%

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

$323 NOK 3,094

$191 NOK 1,835

68.66%

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

$43.23 NOK 415

$35.33 NOK 339

22.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 736

$74.4 NOK 713

3.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.53 NOK 408

$44.23 NOK 424

-3.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.79 NOK 449

$52.6 NOK 504

-10.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 NOK 166

$11.96 NOK 115

44.31%

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

$321 NOK 3,079

$308 NOK 2,952

4.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,375 NOK 80.3K

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

-17.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,057

$97.7 NOK 937

12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 NOK 455

$59.6 NOK 572

-20.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,229

$104 NOK 994

23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,263

$161 NOK 1,542

-18.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 NOK 13.2K

$1,071 NOK 10.3K

28.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 NOK 10.3K

$704 NOK 6,753

53.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 NOK 21.8K

$1,317 NOK 12.6K

72.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 NOK 16.2K

$1,138 NOK 10.9K

48.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,109 NOK 58.6K

$3,161 NOK 30.3K

93.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,952 NOK 47.5K

$2,090 NOK 20.0K

136.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,148 NOK 39.8K

$4,017 NOK 38.5K

3.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

3.6

20.00%

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

Last update for Trondheim: July 26, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Trondheim and $1,071 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 3% 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: $123 in Trondheim vs $75.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 vs $462 per month, with Arendal 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

Trondheim vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trondheim and Arendal differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,745 vs $2,203 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Trondheim, 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: $1,371 in Trondheim versus $1,071 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Trondheim versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,203 in Arendal versus $2,745 in Trondheim, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Trondheim. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Trondheim and Arendal 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 Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.