Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,417 in Hamar versus $3,202 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,870 in Hamar versus $4,642 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,324 in Hamar versus $6,082 in Stavanger.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 25% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Stavanger 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 200

$25.74 NOK 243

-17.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$130 NOK 1,221

$97.4 NOK 917

33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.05 NOK 151

$16.15 NOK 152

-0.62%

Cappuccino

$6.13 NOK 57.7

$6.37 NOK 60.0

-3.77%

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

$4.14 NOK 39.05

$5.34 NOK 50.3

-22.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.56

$4.43 NOK 41.75

-24.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.03 NOK 113

$13.88 NOK 131

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 NOK 79.4

$12.16 NOK 115

-30.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 23.66

$2.50 NOK 23.55

0.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.54

$3.60 NOK 33.96

-15.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 20.04

$3.96 NOK 37.33

-46.21%

Eggs

$5.90 NOK 55.6

$5.05 NOK 47.55

16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 NOK 107

$15.10 NOK 142

-25.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 NOK 119

$17.22 NOK 162

-26.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.76 NOK 280

$35.93 NOK 339

-17.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.05

$3.71 NOK 34.97

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.06

$2.78 NOK 26.20

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.97

$3.49 NOK 32.84

-8.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.98 NOK 56.3

$5.04 NOK 47.53

18.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.69

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.94

$3.12 NOK 29.43

-18.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 NOK 20.03

$2.91 NOK 27.45

-26.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 NOK 19.06

$2.42 NOK 22.84

-16.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 NOK 181

$17.89 NOK 169

7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 NOK 159

$18.83 NOK 177

-10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.01

$3.94 NOK 37.16

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 NOK 41.22

$4.51 NOK 42.46

-3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 NOK 44.10

$4.82 NOK 45.41

-2.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 NOK 658

$87.4 NOK 824

-20.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 NOK 113

$6.37 NOK 60.0

88.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.52

$1.72 NOK 16.18

8.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 NOK 677

$106 NOK 1,003

-32.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.25

$2.25 NOK 21.21

4.89%

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

$48.5K NOK 457.0K

$49.6K NOK 467.6K

-2.26%

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

$46.2K NOK 434.9K

$42.3K NOK 398.5K

9.12%

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

$227 NOK 2,137

$251 NOK 2,362

-9.54%

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

$32.60 NOK 307

$35.70 NOK 336

-8.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NOK 534

$83.6 NOK 788

-32.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 544

$52.5 NOK 495

10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.57 NOK 288

$37.19 NOK 350

-17.80%

Cinema Ticket

$19.33 NOK 182

$22.57 NOK 213

-14.36%

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

$217 NOK 2,044

$330 NOK 3,112

-34.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K NOK 150.5K

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

10.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 950

$131 NOK 1,230

-22.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 NOK 572

$60.9 NOK 574

-0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 NOK 1,254

$158 NOK 1,492

-15.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NOK 991

$210 NOK 1,978

-49.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NOK 11.6K

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

-27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 NOK 8,309

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

-36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 NOK 15.4K

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

-41.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 NOK 14.5K

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

-26.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 NOK 41.9K

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

-28.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 NOK 32.7K

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

-36.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

-14.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

5.27

-5.50%

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

Last update for Hamar: September 13, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Hamar and $1,708 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 18% 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: $130 in Hamar vs $97.0 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $455 vs $532, with Hamar cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hamar vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Stavanger differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,417 vs $3,202 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% 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: $1,235 in Hamar versus $1,708 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamar – a meal for two runs $130 versus $97.0 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,417 in Hamar versus $3,202 in Stavanger, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar 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, Hamar 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 Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.