Stay: 5 Budget Stays in Oslo
- Mario
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
If you think Oslo is an expensive city to stay in, you're absolutely right. Let's not sugarcoat it, the Norwegian capital has a reputation for being pricey, and it's well earned. City breaks, by their very nature, tend to be costly affairs.
You're popping into museums, treating yourself to coffee in charming cafés more then once, perhaps indulging in a sauna session, and naturally you want to explore the local food scene properly. But here's the thing: accommodation is one area where you can genuinely save some serious money without compromising your experience.
Think about it, you really only need a comfortable bed and a clean bathroom. You're not going to be lounging in your room watching Netflix, are you? You're in Oslo! And isn't it far more satisfying to redirect those savings towards an absolutely cracking dinner at one of the city's excellent restaurants? That's precisely why I've put together these 5 accommodation recommendations to help you save money during your Oslo adventure, without feeling like you're roughing it. So here you have it; 5 budget stays in Oslo, in no particular order.
Close to everything: Citybox Oslo
I've stayed here twice now, and there's a good reason for that. Living in the countryside about an hour from Oslo means that when I fancy catching a concert or having a proper night out, getting home at 2am with a beer or two in my system simply isn't an option. Enter Citybox Oslo, my budget-friendly urban sanctuary.
This is a properly modern hotel with a cracking central location, just a short walk from the central station. Even better, the tram stops literally outside the front door, making it ridiculously easy to zip around the city. What really impressed me was the slick self-service check-in system, no queuing at reception, just grab your key card and head straight up. The rooms are clean, genuinely cosy, and the beds are wonderfully comfortable. The staff are helpful too, always ready with recommendations or assistance. I did have one slightly unfortunate experience with noisy neighbours on my second visit, but that genuinely seems to have been a one-off situation.
The rooms themselves are designed in that minimal Scandinavian style that somehow manages to be both functional and rather elegant. You get an en-suite bathroom (complete with a proper shower and hairdryer), a decent-sized desk if you need to catch up on work, a comfortable armchair for reading, adjustable heating, and surprisingly good soundproofing. The communal facilities are what really set this place apart though. There's a shared guest kitchen equipped with microwaves and fridges – perfect if you fancy cooking your own meals to save even more cash. You'll also find a TV lounge for those rare moments when you want to relax indoors, vending machines for midnight snacks, and free wifi throughout.
If you're travelling solo, this place is particularly brilliant because you're bound to meet other travellers in the games room, which is kitted out with table tennis, darts, table football, and a selection of board games. It's the perfect way to make new friends and swap travel tips over a competitive game of table tennis if that's your thing-pong.
The Royals as your neighbour: Cochs Pension
Let's start with the rather posh location. This pension sits in quite an upmarket neighbourhood, so upmarket, in fact, that you'll have the Norwegian royal family as neighbours. No pressure! The accommodation is situated on Bogstadveien, a long street absolutely packed with lovely boutiques, countless coffee shops, and some genuinely excellent restaurants. It's the sort of area where you can easily lose half an afternoon just wandering and window shopping.
Now, there is one caveat: the rooms face directly onto what is a fairly busy street. Oslo is relatively quiet at night compared to many European capitals, but you might catch some street noise, particularly in the earlier evening. Honestly though, name me a city centre accommodation where you won't hear the occasional car or passing conversation. It's just part of urban living, isn't it?
Breakfast isn't included in your rate here, but I actually see that as a positive rather than a negative. It gives you the perfect excuse to explore one of the neighbourhood's many excellent cafés and bakeries for your morning coffee and pastries. There's something rather wonderful about starting your day like a local, sitting in a cosy café watching Oslo wake up.
The rooms themselves are admittedly quite basic, this isn't a boutique hotel with fancy furnishings, but they're perfectly comfortable for what you need. You get a proper comfortable bed (which is really the most important thing), a TV with multiple channels for those rare moments of downtime, free wifi, and some rooms even come with kitchenettes complete with fridges or microwaves. If you do opt for one of these rooms, you can cook simple meals and drive your costs down even further. Crockery and cooking utensils can be hired for a small fee, making self-catering entirely feasible.
Budget stay in the coolest neighbourhood of Oslo: Bunks at Rode
Yes, I know what you're thinking. Hostels. Dormitories. That chap in the bottom bunk who snores like a congested walrus with pneumonia. But, because Bunks at Rode has taken the traditional hostel concept and given it a thoroughly modern, rather brilliant upgrade.
You have options here: book a bed in a shared dormitory if you're watching every penny and don't mind company, or splash out slightly on a private room if you prefer your own space. The beds are genuinely excellent – none of that sagging mattress nonsense you might remember from gap year hostels. The staff are absolutely lovely, always up for a chat and full of local recommendations. But what really makes this place special is the atmosphere. It's properly social without being overwhelming, and you'll meet travellers from absolutely everywhere, though the crowd tends to skew towards twenty- and thirty-somethings.
The facilities are what you'd expect from a modern hostel, but executed really well. The dormitories and private rooms feature bunk beds with privacy curtains (blissfully cutting out both light and awkward eye contact), personal plug sockets so you're not fighting over charging space, individual reading lamps, secure lockers for your valuables, and – thank goodness – air conditioning. The communal spaces are particularly impressive: there's a rooftop terrace with proper views across the city (perfect for sun-downers in summer), a social lounge where they host regular events, self-service kiosks for hassle-free check-in and check-out, and a well-equipped kitchenette with everything you need. Microwaves, toasters, kettles, fridges, the lot. Plus there's a supermarket literally next door, making self-catering incredibly convenient.
But the absolute star feature? The location. Bunks at Rode sits within easy walking distance of Grünerløkka, which is quite possibly Oslo's coolest neighbourhood. This is where you'll find the city's best vintage shops, brilliant independent cafés, proper local pubs, and just generally more life and energy than you'll find in central Oslo. It's got real character, and you can explore it all without spending a fortune on taxis.
The hybrid hotel: K7 Hotel Oslo
If Bunks at Rode is the cool, casual hostel, then K7 Hostel Oslo is its slightly more sophisticated older sibling. They describe themselves as a "hybrid," which is actually quite accurate. You can book the classic hostel experience with bunk beds in shared rooms, or you can upgrade to what are genuinely high-standard private rooms. It's a proper one-stop-shop approach that works brilliantly whether you're a backpacker or someone who just fancies a central, affordable base.
The beds are excellent across all room types, and the staff are genuinely warm and helpful – the sort of people who remember your name and actually seem pleased to see you at breakfast. K7's biggest selling point, though, is undoubtedly its location. You're absolutely bang in the centre of Oslo, with the harbour, central station, and the city's liveliest neighbourhoods all within comfortable walking distance. You couldn't be better positioned for exploring everything Oslo has to offer.
There is, of course, a flip side to being so centrally located. You're in the thick of things, which means you might hear some street noise, particularly in the evenings. There are a handful of bars in the immediate area that tend to turn their punters out into the night at closing time, and voices do carry. But honestly, this is easily solved. Pack a pair of earplugs (or use the ones they provide), pop them in, and you'll sleep like absolute royalty. Small price to pay for such a cracking location.