Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,252 in Arendal versus $2,689 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Arendal versus $4,070 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,548 in Arendal versus $5,451 in Stavanger.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 16% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 68% above, Stavanger 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 NOK 173

$25.39 NOK 241

-28.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 NOK 716

$120 NOK 1,138

-37.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 147

$15.31 NOK 145

0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 49.49

$5.03 NOK 47.77

3.58%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 NOK 30.46

$3.88 NOK 36.83

-17.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NOK 28.99

$3.47 NOK 32.89

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 97.1

$10.21 NOK 96.9

0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.94

$2.31 NOK 21.93

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 NOK 28.52

$3.12 NOK 29.59

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.13

$4.58 NOK 43.48

-21.40%

Eggs

$4.36 NOK 41.38

$4.48 NOK 42.52

-2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 NOK 123

$12.90 NOK 122

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.36 NOK 146

$16.73 NOK 159

-8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.96 NOK 265

$27.83 NOK 264

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.30

$3.48 NOK 33.01

-2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.08

$2.64 NOK 25.03

-3.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.41

$3.11 NOK 29.53

-0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 43.20

$4.68 NOK 44.37

-2.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.60

$2.08 NOK 19.77

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.27

$3.08 NOK 29.27

-3.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 24.75

$2.47 NOK 23.47

5.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.65

$1.83 NOK 17.38

-4.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 146

$14.97 NOK 142

3.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.24 NOK 173

$18.46 NOK 175

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.83

$3.68 NOK 34.89

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 NOK 38.01

$4.10 NOK 38.90

-2.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 NOK 36.88

$4.58 NOK 43.47

-15.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,009

$68.6 NOK 651

54.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 NOK 75.3

$15.31 NOK 145

-48.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.74

$2.06 NOK 19.57

0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.96 NOK 294

$100 NOK 953

-69.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.71

$2.11 NOK 20.01

-1.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

-1.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

1.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 NOK 1,793

$190 NOK 1,806

-0.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.99 NOK 342

$42.20 NOK 401

-14.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.0 NOK 703

$83.1 NOK 789

-10.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 NOK 423

$55.9 NOK 531

-20.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.0 NOK 513

$35.16 NOK 334

53.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NOK 113

$19.57 NOK 186

-39.04%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$306 NOK 2,903

$321 NOK 3,048

-4.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

-21.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 919

$116 NOK 1,098

-16.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 NOK 550

$58.0 NOK 550

-0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,003

$107 NOK 1,017

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,512

$160 NOK 1,519

-0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

-31.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 NOK 6,722

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

-37.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

-51.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

-34.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

-46.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

-60.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

-20.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

4.51

-20.18%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arendal: June 7, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Arendal and $1,595 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Arendal vs $120 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $473 per month, with Arendal cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Arendal vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Stavanger differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,252 vs $2,689 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stavanger earns 25% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,099 in Arendal versus $1,595 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Arendal versus $321 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arendal is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arendal and Stavanger are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.