Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Arendal: $2,679 a month against $3,138 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Arendal
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Arendal Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Arendal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,679

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arendal and in Stavanger

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arendal and in Stavanger actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,679 in Arendal versus $3,138 in Stavanger.

Arendal $2,679
Stavanger $3,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,805 in Arendal versus $4,570 in Stavanger.

Arendal $3,805
Stavanger $4,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,931 in Arendal versus $6,002 in Stavanger.

Arendal $4,931
Stavanger $6,002

Living in Arendal costs roughly 15% less than in Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 98% above, Stavanger 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.51 NOK 184

$24.72 NOK 233

-21.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 NOK 619

$95.7 NOK 901

-31.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.52 NOK 146

$15.96 NOK 150

-2.76%

Cappuccino

$5.33 NOK 50.2

$6.23 NOK 58.6

-14.45%

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

$3.49 NOK 32.84

$5.20 NOK 48.94

-32.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.62

$4.26 NOK 40.09

-23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.55 NOK 109

$13.68 NOK 129

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.08 NOK 114

$11.94 NOK 112

1.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.78

$2.44 NOK 22.95

-5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 NOK 32.63

$3.52 NOK 33.10

-1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.56

$3.85 NOK 36.29

-1.82%

Eggs

$4.93 NOK 46.38

$4.72 NOK 44.40

4.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 NOK 139

$14.37 NOK 135

3.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.35 NOK 135

$16.68 NOK 157

-13.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.30 NOK 314

$35.66 NOK 336

-6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.83

$3.46 NOK 32.59

0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.75

$2.78 NOK 26.19

-5.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.74

$3.38 NOK 31.79

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 NOK 44.63

$4.92 NOK 46.33

-3.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.97

$2.49 NOK 23.42

2.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.18

$2.98 NOK 28.05

4.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 26.55

$2.83 NOK 26.63

-0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 NOK 21.13

$2.35 NOK 22.09

-4.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.67 NOK 166

$17.60 NOK 166

0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 NOK 136

$18.73 NOK 176

-22.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 NOK 35.19

$3.74 NOK 35.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 41.27

$4.42 NOK 41.58

-0.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 NOK 34.72

$4.64 NOK 43.68

-20.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 849

$84.1 NOK 792

7.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 NOK 57.5

$6.07 NOK 57.1

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NOK 16.03

$1.70 NOK 16.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 986

$102 NOK 961

2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.31

$2.43 NOK 22.85

-7.00%

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

$48.3K NOK 454.3K

$48.3K NOK 455.1K

-0.17%

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

$41.0K NOK 385.9K

$42.0K NOK 395.1K

-2.32%

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

$252 NOK 2,372

$249 NOK 2,346

1.10%

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

$34.68 NOK 326

$34.59 NOK 326

0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 NOK 751

$80.9 NOK 762

-1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.61 NOK 345

$50.2 NOK 473

-27.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 NOK 347

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 NOK 145

$21.38 NOK 201

-28.06%

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

$314 NOK 2,952

$320 NOK 3,014

-2.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K NOK 129.9K

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

-3.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 NOK 1,176

$126 NOK 1,183

-0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.59 NOK 410

$58.8 NOK 553

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,165

$149 NOK 1,406

-17.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 NOK 1,922

$198 NOK 1,865

3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 NOK 10.4K

$1,697 NOK 16.0K

-34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 NOK 9,783

$1,356 NOK 12.8K

-23.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 NOK 14.6K

$2,735 NOK 25.7K

-43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 NOK 13.7K

$2,042 NOK 19.2K

-28.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 NOK 38.7K

$6,207 NOK 58.4K

-33.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,134 NOK 29.5K

$5,292 NOK 49.8K

-40.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,151 NOK 39.1K

$5,011 NOK 47.2K

-17.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.27

-11.20%

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

Last update for Arendal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arendal

$1K 38.8%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.2% 30.5% $317

Groceries & Markets

Arendal

$488 18.2%

Stavanger

$517 16.5% 6% $29

Eating Out

Arendal

$375 14%

Stavanger

$450 14.4% 20% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arendal

$366 13.7%

Stavanger

$365 11.6% 0.5% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Arendal

$223 8.3%

Stavanger

$239 7.6% 7.2% $16

Getting Around

Arendal

$120 4.5%

Stavanger

$117 3.7% 1.9% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Arendal

$67 2.5%

Stavanger

$93 3% 38% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in Arendal and $1,697 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 21% 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: $66.0 in Arendal vs $96.0 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $517 per month, with Arendal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Arendal

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

Same time as Arendal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,406

149,330

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Arendal Stavanger 180 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 17% in total monthly costs ($2,679 vs $3,138 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Stavanger. 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: $1,109 in Arendal versus $1,697 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Arendal versus $320 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,679 in Arendal versus $3,138 in Stavanger, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 17% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.