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: $2,370 in Hamar versus $2,695 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $4,140 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $5,584 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 77% above, Stavanger 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$25.22 NOK 235

0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$119 NOK 1,113

1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$15.32 NOK 143

-2.87%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$5.05 NOK 47.09

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$4.01 NOK 37.36

2.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$3.46 NOK 32.25

-8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$11.16 NOK 104

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$9.94 NOK 92.7

-20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$2.45 NOK 22.84

-15.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$3.10 NOK 28.90

-7.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$4.61 NOK 42.97

-55.10%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$4.34 NOK 40.44

14.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$12.93 NOK 120

-17.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$16.27 NOK 152

-26.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$27.67 NOK 258

13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$3.41 NOK 31.76

2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.62 NOK 24.42

-0.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$3.01 NOK 28.07

-4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$4.55 NOK 42.42

13.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$2.07 NOK 19.28

15.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.99 NOK 27.85

-18.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$2.47 NOK 23.00

-18.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$1.84 NOK 17.14

5.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$15.09 NOK 141

11.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$19.20 NOK 179

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$3.55 NOK 33.07

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$4.01 NOK 37.39

3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$4.48 NOK 41.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$66.9 NOK 623

-2.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$15.00 NOK 140

-32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$2.09 NOK 19.44

-33.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$102 NOK 951

-58.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$2.11 NOK 19.66

-0.47%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

9.04%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

31.41%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$191 NOK 1,782

12.67%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$43.15 NOK 402

-27.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$80.5 NOK 750

-30.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$56.0 NOK 522

-0.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$35.16 NOK 328

-20.79%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$19.31 NOK 180

-7.25%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$322 NOK 2,998

-38.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

12.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$117 NOK 1,087

-9.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$58.7 NOK 547

5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$107 NOK 994

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$159 NOK 1,484

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

-24.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

-46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

-19.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

-26.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

-34.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

-13.28%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $1,580 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 15% 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: $121 in Hamar vs $119 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $441 vs $470, 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 14% in total monthly costs ($2,370 vs $2,695 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stavanger earns 15% 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: $1,168 in Hamar versus $1,580 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 $121 versus $119 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 14% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.