Tromsø Supermarkets (A Complete Guide to Prices & Stores)

Sticker Shock and How to Survive It

Welcome to Tromsø, the capital of the Arctic. It’s a city where nature will take your breath away… and the restaurant prices will try to do the exact same thing, just to your bank account.

Let’s be honest, you’ve probably just had that moment. You sat down at a cozy-looking cafe on the main street, you cheerfully opened the menu, and… oh. Oh, wow. You did the quick, panicked mental conversion from NOK to your home currency. You checked it twice. You realized that, yes, that very normal-looking burger and fries does in fact cost more than your flight. You smiled politely at the waiter, muttered something about “just checking,” and are now back on the icy street, a little colder and a lot more desperate.

If your wallet has just had its first encounter with Norwegian gastronomy and is now in a state of shock, you are almost certainly looking for an alternative.

Here it is: the supermarket. It’s your lifeline. It’s your sanctuary. It’s the brightly-lit haven where you can regain control of your finances.

For anyone staying in an apartment with a kitchen (the single smartest move you can make), or even just looking to save money on lunch by making your own sandwiches, this guide is absolutely essential. Eating on your own is, without question, the #1 way to visit Tromsø on a budget. It’s the difference between cutting your trip short and having enough money left over for another beer (which, as you’ll learn, you will also be buying here).

But this, too, is a landscape that needs a guide. Walking into the wrong store at the wrong time is a classic rookie mistake. “But which store do you choose?” Is the green Kiwi really cheaper than the red Rema 1000? Does “Coop Extra” mean extra-expensive or extra-discounted? “Where can you buy beer,” and why do the fridges look like they’re in lockdown after 8 PM? “And what, for the love of all things, do you do on a Sunday” when every major store is sealed tight as a drum?

Let’s break it down. We’re going to navigate the aisles, demystify the rules, and turn you into a local, budget-shopping pro.

The Main Players: The “Big Three” of Budget Shopping

In Norway, there is a constant, brutal, and glorious price war raging between three main discount chains. As a tourist, you don’t need to understand the economics of it; you just need to know this: it’s the only thing saving your wallet.

These three stores are your sanctuary. They are the holy trinity of budget survival. Stick to these brands, and your budget will thank you. Your choice will almost always come down to one simple factor: which of the three is 50 steps closer to your apartment.

1. Rema 1000

• The Vibe: That unmissable, fire-engine-red logo. This is Norway’s no-frills, high-efficiency answer to Aldi or Lidl. The philosophy is simple: get in, get your stuff, get out, and don’t pay a krone more than you have to.
• Where to Find Them: You can’t throw a snowball in Tromsø without hitting a Rema. They are everywhere. In the downtown area, you have two key locations: a large one right near the main square (Stortorget) and another, often quieter one, a bit further south in the city.
• Price Level: Low. They are in a constant, daily battle with Kiwi to be the cheapest. For you, the difference is negligible.
• Product Range: Solid, reliable, and predictable. You’ll find everything you need for a basic, hearty meal. This is your go-to for pasta, bread, milk, eggs, and the all-important Norwegian frozen pizza (the Grandiosa). The key to saving here is their in-house brands: “Prima” is their super-basic, incredibly cheap line (think deli meats, cheeses, bacon), and the “Rema 1000” label is on all their standard everyday products.
• Best for: Your main, cheapest, no-nonsense grocery haul.

2. Kiwi

• The Vibe: Aggressively, blindingly green. This is Rema 1000’s mortal enemy, the Capulet to their Montague. They are in a locked-in-a-room-to-the-death battle for your business.
• Where to Find Them: Also ridiculously common. The most visible one for tourists is the large store directly on the main pedestrian street, Storgata. You will walk past it a dozen times. There is another huge one right near the main bridge (Tromsøbrua).
• Price Level: Low. Their prices are almost identical to Rema 1000 by design. If Rema drops the price of eggs, Kiwi knows about it in 10 minutes and matches them.
• Product Range: Very similar to Rema, but with a slightly different brand focus. Kiwi heavily promotes itself as the “healthier” discount option. You’ll see big displays of their fresh fruit and vegetables, which are often on a “3 for 2” or other multi-buy deal (a great way to get vitamins). They also have a good “First Price” budget brand for staples.
• Best for: Whichever is closer, Rema or Kiwi. Your choice will literally be based on 50 yards of walking.

3. Coop Extra

• The Vibe: The red “Coop” logo, but with the all-important “Extra” tagline. This signifies that it’s the discount branch of the larger Coop cooperative.
• Where to Find Them: The single most important location for a tourist is the massive store in the basement of the Nerstranda shopping center (the main downtown mall). This is its superpower.
• Price Level: Low. It competes directly with Rema and Kiwi, so the prices for staple goods are all in the same ballpark.
• Product Range: Often feels slightly wider or more “premium” than Rema or Kiwi, but with the same low prices. Their key budget brand is “Xtra” (with an X) – look for the simple white and red packaging. This is your signal for the cheapest item in that category. The location is its main advantage: you can shop for groceries in the mall’s warmth, without putting your 10 layers of winter gear back on.
• Best for: A convenient, central shop. Crucially, the Vinmonopolet (state liquor store) is in the same mall, making this the perfect “one-stop-shop” to get both your food and your wine.

A Quick But Vital Warning: You will see other Coop stores. “Coop Prix” is another discount brand, similar to Extra but usually smaller. But if you see “Coop Mega,” be warned: this is the premium, deluxe version. This is the Waitrose or Whole Foods of Norway. The selection is fantastic (imported cheeses! giant meat counters!), but the prices are noticeably higher. Walk in here by accident, and you will undo all your hard budget-saving work. You’ve been warned.

The Other Stores: When Convenience (or Desperation) Wins

Sometimes, you won’t be near a “Big Three” discounter, or worse, you’ll be trapped by the clock. That’s when you’ll encounter these two players.

Spar / Eurospar

• The Vibe: The classic green-and-red fir tree logo. This feels like a “proper” full-service supermarket, the kind you’re probably used to back home. It’s less frantic than the discounters, the aisles are a bit wider, and the lighting is a bit calmer.
• Where to Find Them: You won’t find these in the immediate city center. The most notable location is the massive Eurospar inside the Jekta shopping mall, which is the huge one out by the airport. This is the “I have a rental car and I’m doing my one big shop for the whole week” destination.
• Price Level: Medium to High. You are paying for the wider selection, the brand names, and, most importantly, the fresh food counters.
• Product Range: This is their superpower. While the discounters are great for staples, Eurospar has everything. The imported brands, the wider cheese selection, and the star of the show: the hot food counter (varmdisk). This is a massive local tip. You can get a large portion of hot, freshly grilled chicken, spare ribs, or meatballs for a fraction of a restaurant meal. Pair that with their excellent salad bar (salatbar), and you have a high-quality, delicious, and hot takeaway lunch or dinner for a very reasonable price.
• Best for: Your big, first-day “stock the Airbnb” shop (especially if at Jekta). It is also, without question, the best option for a high-quality, non-restaurant hot meal to go.

Joker or Bunnpris (The “Sunday Shops”)

• The Vibe: The quintessential small, local, corner-store. Think “bodega” or “dairy.” The aisles are narrow, the selection is a bit random, and it often feels like you’ve stepped back in time 20 years. It’s functional, not fancy.
• Where to Find Them: You won’t find these on the main tourist drag. They are scattered in residential neighborhoods, tucked away on side streets. You have to look for them, or stumble upon one when you’re lost.
• Price Level: Very High. Painfully high. Emergency-only prices. You are paying a massive premium for the convenience of them being open when everything else is closed.
• Product Range: Limited. This is for survival basics only. Milk, bread, eggs, butter, a small selection of snacks, and a few sad-looking frozen pizzas. You are not doing your weekly shop here. You are doing an “I have nothing for breakfast tomorrow and I’m desperate” shop.
• Best for: It’s 5 PM on a Sunday. You just realized all your food is gone. You’re facing a long, dark, hungry night. This is your only option. This is the “walk of shame” for tourists (and locals) who forgot the cardinal rule: shop on Saturday. Be aware that not all of them are open on Sunday, only the specific, smaller-format ones that are legally allowed to be.

The 4 Crucial Rules of Norwegian Supermarkets

Before you grab a basket, you must understand that you are not in a normal shopping environment. You are in Norway. There are rules. And they are not suggestions.

Learning these four golden rules will save you from frustration, embarrassment, and a very, very hungry Sunday.

1. THE SUNDAY TRAP (MOST IMPORTANT!)

This is not a suggestion. This is the law. On Sundays, ALL large supermarkets—Rema, Kiwi, Coop Extra, Spar, all of them—are CLOSED. Locked. Dark.

This is a deep-seated cultural and legal tradition. Sundays are for friluftsliv (being outdoors) and family, not for commerce. The entire country shuts down.

The “loophole” is a law allowing only tiny shops (under 100 square meters) to open. This is where the Joker or Bunnpris convenience stores come in. They are your only option. And they know it. You will pay a 30-50% premium on everything from a block of cheese to a carton of milk.

There is no sadder tourist in Tromsø than the one pressing their face against the dark glass of a Rema 1000 at 11 AM on a Sunday, realizing their only option is the bank-breaking Joker down the street. Do not be that person. Always, always do your big shop on Saturday!

2. THE ALCOHOL RULE (WINE vs. BEER)

You walk into a huge Coop Extra. You see a vast, beautiful refrigerated section. You grab your food, and now you want a nice bottle of red wine to warm up with. You search. And search. And search.

Stop searching. It’s not there.

In a Norwegian supermarket, you can only buy beer and cider with an alcohol content below 4.7%.

That’s it. Anything stronger—all wine, all spirits (vodka, gin, aquavit), and even all craft beer above 4.7%—is sold EXCLUSIVELY at the state-run monopoly store called Vinmonopolet (“The Wine Monopoly”).

This is not a liquor store; it’s more like a high-end, sober pharmacy for alcohol. The staff are highly knowledgeable, but the hours are even more restrictive than the supermarkets. In Tromsø, the main ones (in Nerstranda mall and Jekta mall) typically close at 18:00 (6 PM) on weekdays and as early as 15:00 or 16:00 (3 or 4 PM) on Saturdays. They are, of course, closed on Sundays. Plan accordingly.

3. THE BEER SALE HOURS (The “Timed Lockout”)

“Okay,” you think, “so I’ll just buy the <4.7% beer in the supermarket.”

Good plan. But the clock is ticking.

You cannot buy that beer at any time. By law, alcohol sales are time-locked at the register. The hours are:

• Weekdays: Sale ends promptly at 20:00 (8 PM)
• Saturdays: Sale ends promptly at 18:00 (6 PM)
• Sundays: No sale, all day.

This is not a friendly request from the store manager. This is a hard-coded law. If you walk up to the checkout at 20:01 on a Monday with a 6-pack of Mack beer, the cashier will scan it, the system will say “NO,” and there is nothing they can do. You can beg, you can plead—it won’t matter. The sale is legally blocked. You will be forced to do the “walk of shame,” returning your beer to the fridge while everyone in line (who knows the rules) watches you.

4. PLASTIC BAGS ARE A SIN (And They Cost a Fortune)

You’ve successfully navigated the rules. You’ve got your non-alcoholic groceries on a Saturday afternoon. You get to the checkout and the cashier asks you something in Norwegian. You look blank. They point. You nod. They scan a plastic bag.

You just paid 4, 5, or even 6 NOK (over $0.50 USD) for a single plastic bag.

This is not a simple bag fee; it’s a national environmental policy via the Handelens Miljøfond (Retailers’ Environmental Fund). The goal is to make bags so annoyingly expensive that you stop using them (and it works).

Every local brings their own reusable tote bags or a backpack. It’s the standard. Pack one (or three) from home. Tucking a reusable tote into your jacket pocket will save you money and make you look like you actually know what you’re doing.

Price Comparison: How Much Does a Basic Basket Cost?

This is the moment of truth. Let’s be blunt: prices in Norway can be shocking. You will look at the price of a block of cheese, do the math in your head, and feel a small part of your soul die.

To prepare you for this, here is an approximate, average price for a few basic items. This table compares prices at the “Big Three” discount chains (Rema/Kiwi) with the “Desperation Store” (Joker on a Sunday).

(Prices are approximate for the 2024/2025 season).

The Most Important Money-Saving Tip You Will Ever Get

You see the difference in that table? The easiest way to save is to avoid the expensive stores. But the smartest way to save is to shop like a Norwegian, even at the cheap stores.

Pro-Tip: Hunt for the Store Brands!

This is not a small suggestion; this will change your entire budget. Brand-name products (like a Tine butter) are always the most expensive. Right next to them will be the store’s own budget brand, which is 30-50% cheaper and often just as good.

This is your new religion. Forget the fancy packaging. Look for these logos:

• At Kiwi: Look for the brand “First Price”.¹ The packaging is famously simple (white and blue), and it’s always the cheapest option.
• At Coop Extra: Look for the brand “Xtra” (with an X). The packaging is simple white and red. This is their rock-bottom-price line.
• At Rema 1000: They have their own brands called “Prima” (for meats/cheeses) and the general “Rema 1000” label.

Do not buy the imported French cheese. Buy the Xtra Norvegia cheese. Do not buy the brand-name Gilde bacon. Buy the Prima Bacon. This single habit will cut your grocery bill in half.

Final Strategy: Your Supermarket Battle Plan

Okay, you’ve got the intel. Here is your final, simple, strategic battle plan for conquering the Tromsø grocery scene and coming home with your budget intact.

For your main, cheapest grocery haul:

Winner: Rema 1000 or Kiwi

This is your default setting. If you are staying for more than two days and have access to a kitchen, 90% of your shopping should happen here. These two are in a permanent price war, and you are the winner. The price difference between them is so small it’s not worth your time calculating. The correct choice is whichever one is closer to your accommodation. Go in, hunt for the store brands (First Price, Prima, Xtra), buy your staples, and get out. This is how you shop like a local and how you survive.

For a “quick and easy” shop in the city center:

Winner: Coop Extra (in Nerstranda Mall)

This is the “convenience champion.” It’s freezing rain outside, you’re already downtown, and you just need to grab a few things for dinner. Don’t walk another 10 minutes in the cold to save 5 NOK. Go to the Coop Extra in the basement of Nerstranda. It’s warm, it’s dry, it’s central, and the prices are still in the “discount” category. Bonus: The Vinmonopolet (liquor store) is in the same mall, making this the single most efficient “get food and wine” stop in the entire city.

For the best selection or a high-quality hot meal:

Winner: Eurospar (at Jekta Mall)

This is your “big mission” shop. This is the perfect first stop if you’ve rented a car and are driving from the airport to your Airbnb. The selection is massive, you can find international brands, and the fresh counters are excellent. It’s also your secret weapon for a “cheat meal”: the hot food counter is your best friend for a delicious, non-restaurant meal that won’t cost you 500 NOK.

When it’s Sunday and you’re out of milk:

Winner: Joker or Bunnpris (The “Walk of Shame”)

This is not a “choice”; this is your last resort. It’s 5 PM on a Sunday. Every main store is dark. You have no coffee or milk for the morning. You are facing a bleak, caffeine-free Polar Night. So, you will find one of these tiny, open-on-Sunday shops. You will go in. You will pay 45 NOK for a loaf of bread that costs 25 NOK everywhere else. You will wince. You will pay it. And you will be pathetically grateful that it exists. Prepare your wallet, buy only what you absolutely must, and swear to yourself that next week, you will shop on Saturday.