Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Skien

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.

139

Cost of Living Index in Trondheim
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Trondheim Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index

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Trondheim

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,827

/mo nomad

Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Trondheim and in Skien

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Trondheim and in Skien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Trondheim $2,827
Skien $2,336

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

Trondheim $4,156
Skien $3,267

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

Trondheim $5,485
Skien $4,197

Trondheim costs about 21% more than Skien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.78 NOK 196

$21.21 NOK 200

-2.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 NOK 982

$103 NOK 971

1.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.59 NOK 147

$15.47 NOK 146

0.78%

Cappuccino

$5.39 NOK 50.7

$5.11 NOK 48.11

5.48%

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

$5.67 NOK 53.4

$4.36 NOK 41.01

30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.47

$2.97 NOK 27.96

44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.06 NOK 123

$11.89 NOK 112

9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.63 NOK 119

$12.33 NOK 116

2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 NOK 22.80

$2.11 NOK 19.84

14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 31.20

$3.92 NOK 36.90

-15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 NOK 35.21

$4.57 NOK 42.98

-18.16%

Eggs

$4.75 NOK 44.75

$5.66 NOK 53.3

-16.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 NOK 122

$13.16 NOK 124

-1.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.19 NOK 152

$15.17 NOK 143

6.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.12 NOK 293

$21.79 NOK 205

42.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 37.08

$3.35 NOK 31.49

17.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.39

$2.70 NOK 25.42

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 35.35

$3.49 NOK 32.86

7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 NOK 51.3

$5.95 NOK 56.0

-8.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.16

$2.24 NOK 21.04

29.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$2.78 NOK 26.12

6.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.63

$3.04 NOK 28.63

-3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 NOK 21.53

$2.48 NOK 23.33

-7.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.27 NOK 163

$19.02 NOK 179

-9.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 170

$15.76 NOK 148

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.42

$3.35 NOK 31.58

2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 NOK 41.85

$4.33 NOK 40.76

2.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 43.84

$3.26 NOK 30.64

42.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.3 NOK 935

$47.91 NOK 451

107.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.40 NOK 88.5

$11.13 NOK 105

-15.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NOK 15.20

$1.81 NOK 17.02

-11.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.2 NOK 567

$70.8 NOK 667

-14.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.63

$2.27 NOK 21.39

5.73%

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

$44.9K NOK 422.5K

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

-5.53%

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

$45.6K NOK 428.8K

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

5.07%

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

$266 NOK 2,507

$93.9 NOK 884

183.75%

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

$35.59 NOK 335

$33.89 NOK 319

5.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.3 NOK 775

$53.6 NOK 504

53.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.67 NOK 392

$43.10 NOK 406

-3.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.68 NOK 374

Cinema Ticket

$20.51 NOK 193

$15.29 NOK 144

34.14%

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

$298 NOK 2,806

$239 NOK 2,247

24.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,363 NOK 41.1K

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

-72.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 983

$63.7 NOK 600

63.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.65 NOK 467

$60.4 NOK 568

-17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,144

$87.9 NOK 827

38.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,478

$153 NOK 1,442

2.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 NOK 13.6K

$1,042 NOK 9,811

38.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.6K

$975 NOK 9,183

15.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,193 NOK 20.6K

$1,035 NOK 9,746

111.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 NOK 15.8K

$939 NOK 8,841

78.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,306 NOK 59.4K

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

85.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,032 NOK 47.4K

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

59.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,145 NOK 39.0K

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

-2.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

4.37

21.74%

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

Last update for Trondheim: October 11, 2026

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trondheim

$1.1K 39.7%

Skien

$975 41.8% 13.1% $147

Groceries & Markets

Trondheim

$499 17.7%

Skien

$470 20.1% 6% $30

Eating Out

Trondheim

$408 14.4%

Skien

$391 16.7% 4.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trondheim

$384 13.6%

Skien

$181 7.8% 52.8% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Trondheim

$195 6.9%

Skien

$164 7% 15.6% $30

Getting Around

Trondheim

$135 4.8%

Skien

$81 3.5% 40.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Trondheim

$83 2.9%

Skien

$74 3.2% 10.9% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,442 in Trondheim versus $1,042 in Skien. 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 $104 in Trondheim versus $103 in Skien. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $499 vs $470 – making Skien the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Trondheim

🇳🇴 Skien

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

Same time as Trondheim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,121

56,769

💱 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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Trondheim Skien 470 km

From you

Trondheim
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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

Trondheim vs Skien: 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 $4,241 per month in Trondheim and $3,504 in Skien. 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 $104 in Trondheim and $103 in Skien. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,827 in Trondheim and $2,336 in Skien. 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.