Just How Expensive is Oslo? 7 Budget Things to Do
Are you researching how much you’ll spend in Oslo? If you’re wondering how expensive Oslo is, there’s a simple answer.
I’m not going to lie. Very.
Before I went to Oslo I did the usual research to see what other travel bloggers were saying about Norway’s capital city and it irked me that all they could talk about was how expensive it was.
But, wow, it was expensive…
We spent £400 all in all, for four days, each. We really didn’t skimp though and as usual got caught up in the joyous moment of being away from work and having the ‘f*ck it, we’re on holiday’ mentality. You could do it for half, maybe, but you’d be eating bread and drinking water.
‘Oslo’ and ‘budget’ are not two words you hear together very often. Norway is the most expensive city in the world and as the capital, Oslo will cost you even more Krone. But, please don’t let this put you off. I went to Oslo in May and was genuinely amazed at how beautiful the city was, and how much there was to do there for free.
You could happily entertain yourself on a sunny day for free in Oslo with all the parks, free museums and free galleries.
But, for the purposes of this article on the cost of Oslo, let me introduce you to some of the costs of Oslo to consider.
Food in Oslo
We arrived around 2pm and we’d left the house at 4:15am and apart from a croissant at Pret a Manger at Stansted Airport we hadn’t eaten. So as soon as we found Muchos Mas round the corner from our Anker Hotel in Grunnerlokka we sat down and quickly ordered a chicken burrito and a beer each. It was a generous portion and absolutely delicious, and we shared another beer to wash it down.
The bill came. It was 526 Norwegian Krone, £56. Yikes. And that was just lunch.
On the last night we wanted something authentic so went to The Albertine Bar on the Akker Brygge front. I had herring and potatoes and Waiels had Norwegian stew. We had a pint each and a cheese platter between us for dessert. This came to around 800kr = £85.
During the 4 days we also had a kebab to share – without a doubt the worst kebab I’ve ever had, but we drunk and trying to be cheap – that was around £10. Another time we ate pizza, which were around £15 each and then another day we had elk burgers which were about the same.
Apart from the kebab and some dodgy pizza wrap Waiel got from Deli de Luca all the food we had in Oslo was incredible and delicious – some of the best I’ve ever had.
Drink in Oslo
My trip to Oslo was the first holiday I’ve ever been on where I didn’t drink wine. At around 90kr (£9) a pop you didn’t get much liquid for your cash so I was on pints at 7okr (£7) each. We went to a bar near the House of Literature on the first night where we paid 150kr (£15) for a pint. We didn’t have another one and from the on in, we stuck to Grunerlokka where it was more like £7.
Transport in Oslo
We had a 72-hour Oslo pass, which was brilliant for travelling around the city as all trams were included in the price. Otherwise you’re looking at around £5 a go although day passes are available. You don’t have to get the tram in Oslo though. Most of the sites are in the centre of the city and are definitely walkable, but if like me you want to see how the real Oslobergers lived in the city suburbs you might enjoy taking a tram ride out.
The Oslo Pass is a great option for budget travellers. You get free entry to more than 30 museums and attractions, free travel on all public transport, free parking, and discounts on many other activities and restaurants.
Cost: 24 hours = 270NOK (€36) | 48 hours = 395 NOK (€52) | 72 hours = 495NOK (€65)
Accommodation in Oslo
We stayed at the amazing Anker Hotel where a double room starts from 890kr (£95) per night. Bearing in mind the top location it’s great value for the area and if you stayed here you wouldn’t have to fork out for any transport. There was a huge breakfast included the price too and it was really clean and modern.
Flights in Oslo
I booked about three months in advance with Ryanair and got the flight (no baggage) for £35 each. Bargain, especially as we went on May Day Bank Holiday.
Things to do in Oslo on a budget
Oslo is an incredible city for free entertainment. The Vigeland Sculpture Park, The Film Museum, City Hall, The Armed Forces Museum and a look in and on top of the Oslo Opera House were all free.
Within the 72-hour Oslo pass we got free entry to the Nobel Peace Centre, a brilliant hop-on, hop-off tour around the marina and the opportunity to visit tens more things if we’d had the time.
We paid around 35kr each for the incredible Mini Bottle Gallery – although it was only that cheap because the till was down – usually it’s about 85kr (£9) each.
Even though we had the hop on hop off tour included in the Oslo pass we also paid 250kr for a trip around the fjords, although I actually enjoyed the hop on hop off more.
There are plenty of cool junk shops around Grunnerlokka and they were fairly priced. I couldn’t help but wonder around the high street shops asking Waiel to ‘guess how much this is?!’ I definitely couldn’t afford to buy anything.
Here are my top 7 things to do in Oslo on a budget…
1. Go on a cruise around the fjords
Take a two-hour guided cruise around the fjords and back along the Aker Brygge harbour. You’ll learn all about the little houses on the islands, where the royal family live and how the Oslobergers spend their time in this beautiful area. You’ll also learn what exactly a fjord is. Refreshments are served on board and there are plenty of blankets to go round. This is the most expensive thing on the list, but well worth it.