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: $2,379 in Hamar versus $2,699 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $4,150 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $5,601 in Stavanger.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 12% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 79% above, Stavanger 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$25.22 NOK 239

0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,157

$123 NOK 1,167

-0.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 145

$15.08 NOK 143

1.26%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.03

$5.02 NOK 47.61

1.00%

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

$4.21 NOK 39.92

$3.89 NOK 36.85

8.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.12

$3.40 NOK 32.26

-6.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 113

$10.99 NOK 104

8.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 77.6

$10.26 NOK 97.3

-20.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.93

$2.40 NOK 22.72

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 26.97

$3.11 NOK 29.46

-8.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.40

$4.64 NOK 44.03

-55.82%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.27

$4.52 NOK 42.88

15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 98.8

$12.98 NOK 123

-19.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 116

$16.24 NOK 154

-24.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 295

$27.67 NOK 262

12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.53 NOK 33.45

-2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.69

$2.52 NOK 23.92

-0.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.37

$3.05 NOK 28.94

-5.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.21

$4.66 NOK 44.17

9.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.55

$2.05 NOK 19.44

16.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.69

$3.04 NOK 28.86

-21.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 18.96

$2.58 NOK 24.47

-22.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.92

$1.75 NOK 16.56

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 165

$15.11 NOK 143

15.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 171

$17.96 NOK 170

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.37

$3.54 NOK 33.60

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.34

$4.08 NOK 38.69

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 42.53

$4.58 NOK 43.44

-2.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 612

$69.1 NOK 656

-6.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 94.6

$15.37 NOK 146

-35.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.12

$2.07 NOK 19.62

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 404

$103 NOK 972

-58.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.97

$2.21 NOK 20.92

-4.52%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.4K

$34.7K NOK 329.2K

3.40%

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

$43.2K NOK 409.8K

$32.7K NOK 310.2K

32.10%

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

$218 NOK 2,072

$192 NOK 1,821

13.75%

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

$31.47 NOK 298

$42.41 NOK 402

-25.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 533

$80.9 NOK 767

-30.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 528

$55.8 NOK 529

-0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 265

$35.17 NOK 333

-20.47%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 171

$19.02 NOK 180

-5.26%

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

$203 NOK 1,921

$314 NOK 2,975

-35.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 138.6K

$12.9K NOK 122.1K

13.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,002

$116 NOK 1,096

-8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 573

$58.4 NOK 553

3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,148

$107 NOK 1,018

12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 976

$157 NOK 1,493

-34.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.0K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,811

$1,135 NOK 10.8K

-27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.2K

$2,798 NOK 26.5K

-46.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.7K

$1,777 NOK 16.9K

-18.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 39.9K

$6,005 NOK 56.9K

-29.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 32.7K

$5,223 NOK 49.5K

-33.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.0K

$4,909 NOK 46.6K

-16.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.51

12.64%

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

Last update for Hamar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $1,595 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 19% 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: $122 in Hamar vs $123 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $468 per month, with Hamar 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

Hamar vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Stavanger differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $2,699 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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: $1,160 in Hamar versus $1,595 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $122 versus $123 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hamar 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, 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 13% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.