How much does it cost to rent a home in Norway? The latest figures from Statistics Norway reveal substantial differences between Oslo, Norway’s other major cities and smaller communities.
Buying a home in Norway can be challenging, especially for newcomers unfamiliar with the country’s property market and mortgage system. Renting is therefore the usual first step for many people moving to Norway.
But how much should you expect to pay? There is no simple answer.
The cost of renting a home in Norway varies considerably according to its location, size, condition and facilities. Even within the same city, moving just a few kilometres can make a noticeable difference.
However, Statistics Norway’s annual Rental Market Survey gives us a useful overview of rent levels across the country.
Average rental costs in Norway
The latest Rental Market Survey covers rents in 2025. It shows that Oslo and neighbouring Bærum remain by far the most expensive parts of Norway in which to rent a home.
Here are the average monthly rents for a two-room home:
| Location | Average monthly rent |
|---|---|
| Oslo and Bærum | NOK 15,260 |
| Bergen | NOK 11,870 |
| Trondheim | NOK 11,850 |
| Stavanger | NOK 11,400 |
| Norway overall | NOK 11,790 |
The average rent in Oslo and Bærum was approximately 29% higher than the national average.
Bergen and Trondheim recorded almost identical rents, while Stavanger was slightly below the nationwide figure.
What does a two-room home mean?
Norwegian property terminology can be confusing for newcomers.
A toroms leilighet, or two-room apartment, does not mean a home with two bedrooms. Statistics Norway counts living rooms and bedrooms, but excludes kitchens, bathrooms and storage rooms.
A two-room home therefore typically contains one bedroom and one living room.
It is also important to understand that the headline figures are averages from the homes included in the survey. They do not represent a standard apartment of a fixed size, and the properties surveyed will differ in floor space, quality and rental conditions.
The urban-rural rental divide
Rental costs fall considerably once you move away from Norway’s biggest cities.
The average monthly rent for a two-room home in larger urban areas outside Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger was NOK 9,880.
In towns with between 2,000 and 19,999 residents, the average was NOK 8,660. In small settlements and sparsely populated areas, it fell to NOK 7,450.
This means the average rent for a two-room home in Oslo and Bærum was more than twice the average in Norway’s smallest settlements and rural areas.
Of course, cheaper rent does not automatically mean a lower overall cost of living. Smaller places may have fewer employment opportunities, limited public transport and a greater need for a car.
Even so, the figures demonstrate how strongly location influences Norway’s rental market.
Big differences within Norwegian cities
Average citywide figures only tell part of the story. There can also be substantial differences between neighbourhoods in the same city.
To make such comparisons, Statistics Norway produces predicted rents for homes of a specified size and type. These modelled figures are different from the average rents listed above.
For a two-room, 50-square-metre home, the predicted monthly rent in the central and western Oslo districts of Sentrum, Frogner, Ullern and St. Hanshaugen was NOK 16,700.
The equivalent figure for Søndre Nordstrand, Grorud, Stovner and Alna was NOK 14,500.
There were noticeable differences in Trondheim too. A two-room, 50-square-metre home in Midtbyen, Østbyen or Nedre Elvehavn had a predicted rent of NOK 13,200. In Lerkendal and Heimdal, the equivalent estimate was NOK 12,200.
These predicted rents cover homes in the private, unsubsidised rental market. They exclude additional value associated with furniture, a balcony, garage space, electricity and heating.
What affects rental prices in Norway?
As in most countries, numerous factors influence how much a landlord can charge.
Homes close to city centres, major employers, universities and good public transport generally command higher rents. Waterfront locations and neighbourhoods with shops, restaurants and cultural attractions may also attract a premium.
Floor space, the age and condition of the building, furnishings, outdoor space and access to parking can all affect the price.
The balance between supply and demand is another important factor. Norway’s student cities often experience intense competition for smaller apartments, particularly before the start of the academic year.
New tenants tend to pay more
The length of a tenancy also makes a significant difference.
According to Statistics Norway, rental agreements signed in 2024 or 2025 had rents around 13% higher than agreements entered into between 2019 and 2023.
Compared with agreements signed before 2019, the difference was approximately 30%.
Landlords generally have more freedom to set a market price when a tenant changes. During an existing tenancy, the ways in which the rent can be increased are more restricted. As a result, people who have remained in the same home for several years may pay considerably less than someone renting a similar property under a new agreement.
Oslo has more professional landlords
Oslo also differs from the rest of Norway in the type of landlord tenants are likely to encounter.
Of the Oslo tenants who took part in the survey, 36.4% said they rented from a professional landlord. A further 40.3% rented from another private individual.
Although Oslo continues to have Norway’s highest proportion of professional landlords, that share had fallen from 39.4% in the previous year’s survey.
Can the figures be compared with previous years?
The latest figures provide a snapshot of Norway’s rental market, but some caution is required when comparing them with earlier surveys.
Statistics Norway selects a new sample each year. The size, quality and location of the homes included can therefore change from one survey to the next.
For that reason, the Rental Market Survey is designed primarily to compare rent levels between different parts of the market. It is not a rental price index, and its annual average figures should not be used to calculate a precise percentage increase in rent over time.
Budgeting for rent in Norway
The figures provide a useful starting point for anyone planning a move to Norway, but actual advertised rents may be higher or lower.
A modern apartment in central Oslo will bear little resemblance to an older basement apartment in a small town, even if both are officially described as two-room homes.
Newcomers should also check exactly what is included in the advertised rent. Electricity, heating, internet access, furniture and parking may be included in some agreements but charged separately in others.
The most important lesson from the figures is clear: where you choose to live can have as much impact on your rental costs as the size of the home itself.
