Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grimstad and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Grimstad: $2,179 a month against $3,248 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Grimstad, Norway
Stavanger, Norway
Grimstad
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,179
/mo nomad
Stavanger
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,248
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grimstad 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 Grimstad and in Stavanger actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,179 in Grimstad versus $3,248 in Stavanger.

  • Grimstad $2,179
  • Stavanger $3,248

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,734 in Grimstad versus $4,717 in Stavanger.

  • Grimstad $3,734
  • Stavanger $4,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,290 in Grimstad versus $6,186 in Stavanger.

  • Grimstad $5,290
  • Stavanger $6,186

Living in Grimstad costs roughly 33% less than in Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grimstad 60% above, Stavanger 139% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.29 NOK 198
$24.67 NOK 229
-13.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.4 NOK 737
$98.0 NOK 910
-18.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.38 NOK 143
$16.23 NOK 151
-5.24%
Cappuccino
$4.87 NOK 45.25
$6.22 NOK 57.7
-21.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.20 NOK 38.99
$5.89 NOK 54.7
-28.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 NOK 31.65
$4.53 NOK 42.07
-24.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.76 NOK 109
$13.76 NOK 128
-14.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.54 NOK 97.9
$10.62 NOK 98.7
-0.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.65 NOK 24.59
$2.53 NOK 23.48
4.74%
White Bread (500g)
$3.74 NOK 34.70
$3.52 NOK 32.69
6.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.24 NOK 30.07
$3.98 NOK 36.94
-18.59%
Eggs
$3.60 NOK 33.41
$4.75 NOK 44.17
-24.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 NOK 120
$15.22 NOK 141
-14.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.43 NOK 134
$17.54 NOK 163
-17.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.57 NOK 228
$36.16 NOK 336
-32.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 NOK 20.19
$3.53 NOK 32.81
-38.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.47 NOK 22.93
$2.86 NOK 26.55
-13.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.57 NOK 33.20
$3.62 NOK 33.62
-1.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.38 NOK 40.72
$4.93 NOK 45.80
-11.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.73 NOK 25.37
$2.55 NOK 23.73
7.06%
Onion (1kg)
$2.92 NOK 27.12
$3.11 NOK 28.91
-6.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.25 NOK 30.18
$2.90 NOK 26.91
12.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 NOK 17.25
$2.33 NOK 21.66
-20.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.23 NOK 179
$18.27 NOK 170
5.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.29 NOK 151
$18.94 NOK 176
-13.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.52 NOK 32.71
$3.80 NOK 35.34
-7.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28 NOK 39.77
$4.51 NOK 41.90
-5.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.27 NOK 48.95
$4.75 NOK 44.09
10.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$92.6 NOK 860
$85.4 NOK 794
8.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.16 NOK 113
$6.27 NOK 58.3
93.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 NOK 17.09
$1.80 NOK 16.73
2.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$72.4 NOK 673
$106 NOK 983
-31.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.36 NOK 21.89
$2.46 NOK 22.90
-4.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.2K NOK 466.2K
$49.1K NOK 456.2K
2.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.0K NOK 418.5K
$42.2K NOK 392.2K
6.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$314 NOK 2,913
$260 NOK 2,412
20.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.50 NOK 321
$33.92 NOK 315
1.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.8 NOK 518
$79.9 NOK 742
-30.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.72 NOK 406
$52.0 NOK 483
-15.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$37.64 NOK 350
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.41 NOK 152
$22.16 NOK 206
-25.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$242 NOK 2,251
$325 NOK 3,023
-25.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K NOK 148.1K
$14.3K NOK 133.2K
11.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.8 NOK 881
$130 NOK 1,205
-26.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 NOK 494
$61.9 NOK 575
-14.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 NOK 985
$151 NOK 1,401
-29.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 NOK 1,510
$206 NOK 1,911
-20.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$902 NOK 8,382
$1,805 NOK 16.8K
-50.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$545 NOK 5,062
$1,429 NOK 13.3K
-61.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,988 NOK 18.5K
$2,895 NOK 26.9K
-31.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,825 NOK 17.0K
$2,145 NOK 19.9K
-14.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,724 NOK 43.9K
$6,468 NOK 60.1K
-26.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,502 NOK 32.5K
$5,430 NOK 50.4K
-35.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grimstad
Stavanger
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,577 NOK 42.5K
$5,086 NOK 47.3K
-10.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.9
5.24
-6.49%

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

Last update for Grimstad: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Grimstad
$545
Stavanger
$1.4K 162% $884
Groceries & Markets
Grimstad
$446
Stavanger
$530 19% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grimstad
$404
Stavanger
$373 7.5% $30
Eating Out
Grimstad
$385
Stavanger
$452 17.4% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Grimstad
$187
Stavanger
$247 31.6% $59
Getting Around
Grimstad
$135
Stavanger
$120 11.4% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Grimstad
$77
Stavanger
$96 25.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $902 in Grimstad and $1,805 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 11% 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: $79 in Grimstad vs $98 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $530 per month, with Grimstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Grimstad
🇳🇴 Stavanger
🕒 Local time
04:08 4:08 AM
04:08 4:08 AM
Same time as Grimstad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,093
149,330
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Grimstad Stavanger 180 km
From you
  • Grimstad
  • Stavanger

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
Grimstad vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grimstad cheaper than Stavanger?
Grimstad is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Grimstad or Stavanger?
On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Grimstad. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Grimstad and Stavanger?
Rent for a central apartment: $902 in Grimstad versus $1,805 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Grimstad and in Stavanger?
All in, you’ll spend $2,179 per month in Grimstad versus $3,248 in Stavanger – Grimstad is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Stavanger runs roughly 8% less than in Grimstad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Grimstad or in Stavanger?
At $2,179 in Grimstad versus $3,248 in Stavanger, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Grimstad but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Grimstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Grimstad or in Stavanger?
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.
Which city is safer, Grimstad or Stavanger?
Safety-wise, Grimstad and Stavanger are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Grimstad wins on affordability, Stavanger on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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