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: $2,794 in Trondheim versus $2,198 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,158 in Trondheim versus $3,317 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,521 in Trondheim versus $4,436 in Arendal.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 27% more expensive than Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 109% above, Arendal 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 NOK 208

$18.13 NOK 169

23.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,127

$77.1 NOK 719

56.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.30 NOK 133

$15.21 NOK 142

-5.98%

Cappuccino

$4.67 NOK 43.55

$5.13 NOK 47.77

-8.97%

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

$3.66 NOK 34.10

$3.21 NOK 29.92

14.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 26.90

$3.02 NOK 28.12

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.79 NOK 101

$11.12 NOK 104

-2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.44 NOK 107

$9.96 NOK 92.9

14.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 NOK 23.51

$2.38 NOK 22.18

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.53

$3.05 NOK 28.46

18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 35.93

$3.58 NOK 33.38

7.82%

Eggs

$4.55 NOK 42.37

$4.47 NOK 41.70

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 NOK 114

$13.01 NOK 121

-6.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 141

$15.35 NOK 143

-1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.24 NOK 263

$27.55 NOK 257

2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.13

$3.56 NOK 33.17

8.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.92

$2.53 NOK 23.62

18.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.88

$2.96 NOK 27.56

-9.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 NOK 46.86

$4.62 NOK 43.05

8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.73

$2.13 NOK 19.89

39.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.09

$2.95 NOK 27.45

13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 NOK 30.20

$2.50 NOK 23.31

29.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 NOK 23.59

$1.83 NOK 17.10

38.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.40 NOK 143

$15.15 NOK 141

1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 NOK 178

$17.88 NOK 167

6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 34.10

$3.38 NOK 31.47

8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 NOK 44.05

$3.95 NOK 36.84

19.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 NOK 43.68

$3.88 NOK 36.17

20.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 870

$103 NOK 958

-9.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$7.95 NOK 74.1

88.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 NOK 20.16

$2.08 NOK 19.36

3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.6 NOK 826

$30.62 NOK 285

189.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.86

$2.05 NOK 19.12

3.90%

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

$32.0K NOK 298.2K

$34.0K NOK 316.9K

-5.90%

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

$41.8K NOK 389.9K

$32.6K NOK 303.5K

28.48%

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

$318 NOK 2,962

$190 NOK 1,770

67.27%

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

$41.68 NOK 388

$35.04 NOK 327

18.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 NOK 717

$72.4 NOK 674

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.83 NOK 399

$43.18 NOK 402

-0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.79 NOK 445

$52.4 NOK 488

-8.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 NOK 161

$11.94 NOK 111

44.81%

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

$329 NOK 3,069

$302 NOK 2,813

9.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,501 NOK 79.2K

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

-17.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,022

$97.5 NOK 909

12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.69 NOK 444

$58.5 NOK 545

-18.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 NOK 1,202

$104 NOK 971

23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,228

$157 NOK 1,462

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 NOK 12.9K

$1,080 NOK 10.1K

28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 NOK 9,928

$710 NOK 6,615

50.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 NOK 20.7K

$1,327 NOK 12.4K

67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 NOK 15.6K

$1,127 NOK 10.5K

48.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,199 NOK 57.8K

$3,225 NOK 30.1K

92.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 NOK 45.9K

$2,152 NOK 20.1K

128.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,339 NOK 40.4K

$4,277 NOK 39.9K

1.46%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Arendal: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,386 in Trondheim and $1,080 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 1% 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: $121 in Trondheim vs $77.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $458 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,794 vs $2,198 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Trondheim pays 1% more on average, 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: $1,386 in Trondheim versus $1,080 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Trondheim versus $302 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,198 in Arendal versus $2,794 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 27% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.