Servus! My girlfriend and I (early 20s) are visiting Tromsø from Austria. We’re staying in an Airbnb, so we decided to do a "simple" grocery run for breakfast and some basic dinner supplies.
Being familiar with Spar back home, we headed there thinking it was a safe bet. We didn’t go for anything fancy, but when the cashier told us the total, i was a little bit shocked. Is spar a premium store here? Honestly, I was impressed by the selection of bread. All in paper bags and felt very fresh. We just grabbed a loaf that looked good.
Questions for the locals:
* Rate our cart: Based on the photo, did we buy the "luxury" version of anything? What would a savvy Norwegian have picked instead?
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The Store: Is Spar considered expensive here? Where should we go next time to save our travel budget? (Kiwi? Rema 1000?)
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Local Secrets: What are your weekly "must-buys" that don’t break the bank?
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Tromsø vs. Norway: Are we paying a "Northern Norway" premium here, or is this just the standard cost of living in 2026?
We love your city so far, even if our wallets are crying a little. I would really like to know more about how it is live here and I am looking forward to your advice!
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1rz9336
Posted by _Arasim_
28 Comments
You nailed it with Svalbardbrød👌
First price aims to be as cheap as possible. There is nothing wrong with it, but you can get “better” food, if you go up a price class.
Most Norwegians buy products from Tine, Sunniva, Gilde etc, so I’d say you are pretty covered. Doesn’t look to far of what I would purchase during a week.
Go to Kiwi or Rema 1000 next tome. Spar and Joker stores are usually more expensive.
I would look for first price products. They are cheaper, made in the same factories as the other, and similar quality.
Go to kiwi and get the First Price things. Edit: actually nvm, I see you have some there. To be fair, it seems kind of a lot for what you bought. I don’t have Spar where I live, but I think I could do that for less in kiwi.
Eurospar is a bit premium here. Meny is worse, but there isn’t one north of Trondheim.
Go to Rema, Kiwi or Coop Extra for cheaper food. Food in Norway is expensive yes.
Looks like a fairly normal haul. You didn’t buy any luxury items as far as I can see, but I would usually save money by making some of these things from scratch, like bread and soup.
Those springrolls are super expensive imo and probably not very nice. I would have spent my money on something else.
No luxury product (sunnive juice might be premium though) but spar is among the most expensive if not the most expensive (not counting joker, not sure if meny, mega or spar wins in price).
Usually kiwi and rema is cheaper, can also use too good to go for various items.
And yes, its usually more expensive up there. Less competition on prices. Can for example,buy the chocolate in 200g for 29kr, so twice the chocolate for 10kr less. Get 15 eggs for 49 at for example meny, 2,5 times the eggs for 14kr more etc.
Is that ‘Bayersk Postei’? (Meat pate, used as a spread on a slice of bread)
I wasn’t aware that it was available in regular stores again?
(I have to buy cartons of 70 packages from an online engros store. I reserve them for special occasions. Also, sliced pickles on top is great!)
The Tomato soup is good, but it doesn’t hurt to add additional macaronis.
Spar is expensive, without having the bigger choice that you can find in Mega and Meny. Kiwi, Rema and Extra are cheaper, which is _the_ cheapest change from month to month. Buy bigger boxes than those tiny liver pate ones. The “normal sized” are cheaper than two tiny ones, and they are more than four times the size.
It looked to cost a lot for what you got. And no you did not get anything premium. Seemed to be opposite.
The prices in Norway are very similar, from South to North, but the stores themselves can vary.
I prefer kiwi or rema 1000 for daily groceries. Meny for bakeries.
I never knew a Norwegian who bought single portion sized spread
As a newcomer in Norway, I still can’t comprehend prices in stores. Some things are extremely expensive (also depends on brand and quality) and some are cheaper than in other countries.. F.e. U can eat salmon or burgers for lunch, cheaper than those 3 croissants. Also freia chocolates are 30kr 200g in most stores right now.
Over time you get used to it, but at start it can get pretty pricey if you are on a budget.
Here you can see weekly offer mostly with cheaper prices than regular, per store:
[https://etilbudsavis.no/](https://etilbudsavis.no/)
Also [meny.no](http://meny.no) has great webshop, where you can search and compare items, especially if you are new here without Norwegian knowledge. Prices are more expensive than in other stores.
Kiwi and Rema1000 have decent food for decent price (brand items), but every store has similar items.
Did you buy any actual food?
The price of the chocolate is bananas. You could have bought double the amount for less in several other stores (i guess until Easter).
6 eggs 33nok, robbery…
chocolate croissants in Norway? life is healing
Missing the essentials, Mills Kaviar, Mills Majones in bags and Stabbur-Makrell.
I think Spar/Eurospar might be something different in Norway than in Europe? At least in Oslo, I went to a Spar grocery store in Tåsen and the prices there were premium plus. Like even Meny – another premium store – seemed cheaper.
If Spar has good prices where you live, it is not the same thing in Norway. It is one of the most expensive ones.
You want to shop at Rema, Kiwi, Coop/Extra for cheap groceries.
It’s uncommon to buy 0,5 l of milk, as it’s just a tiny bit more for double the amount.
Chocolate have become expensive, so many only buy when it’s a sale. The larger bars, 200 gram, is on sale in many stores now leading up to Easter. You’ll find 200 gram bars around 30 kr on sale.
Same with Toro products, they’ve become pricey. But often on sale 40 % off, and with forever shelf life people stock up.
Compared to my weekly shopping – for the weekend I’ll often get some smoked salmon to go with the eggs. (Get the ‘skivet’/pre sliced if you’re not comfortable slicing it yourself). You’re also missing brown cheese for the ‘boller’. The pre made lefse from the grocery store is also pretty good for a snack. Oh – and kaviar on a tube. Goes well with sliced, hard boiled eggs on bread.
Fiskekaker/‘fish patties’ is an easy dinner option, or sliced on bread.
Where are the holiday chips?
What is this, grocery shopping for ants?
No smash no good
mini-pålegg (leverpostei, makrell i tomat etc) are very expensive. One mini pack usually costs almost as much as a full size pack that is approximately 6x the size. Not an economical choice.
I’m going back in. I’ll rate your cart 7/10. I like much of that I see, personally I am a charcuterie snob and I only buy the most fancy ham and cured meats, but that’s just me. I buy eggs in bulk because it’s cheaper and i eat a lot of eggs. Big mistake you made here was the mini packs of spreads, the full size would cost almost the same and last for days instead of only one slice of bread.
Spar is not premium, just average I think. Rema usually wins in price tests, akaik.
Bread, eggs and milk are my…….. bread and butter?? convenient, inexpensive, healthy, survival essential food for me. Also potatoes. If you eat fish, fish and potatoes can make lots of different meals, pretty cost efficient, definitely healthy. Many a norseman has survived solely because of fish and potatoes.
Pizza grandiosa is also very affordable, especially if you buy when it’s on sale. Many a norseman has survived his student years on this cardboard with ketchup and cheese.
Ah yes, Pain au Chocolat. Traditional Viking cousine. Mmm Omelettedu fromage /j
That is shockingly little milk. I live alone and i buy 4 liters at a time.
This would cost about 20usd where I live
Not Norwegian, but lived outside of Tromsø for a year. Seeing the Svalbardbrød brought a tear to my eye. Excellent choice.