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: $2,374 in Hamar versus $2,689 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Hamar versus $4,070 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Hamar versus $5,451 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 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 238

$25.39 NOK 241

-1.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,165

$120 NOK 1,138

2.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 NOK 143

$15.31 NOK 145

-1.63%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.54

$5.03 NOK 47.77

-0.40%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.03

$3.88 NOK 36.83

8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.86

$3.47 NOK 32.89

-6.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.22 NOK 116

$10.98 NOK 104

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 NOK 78.1

$10.21 NOK 96.9

-19.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$2.31 NOK 21.93

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$3.12 NOK 29.59

-4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.36

$4.58 NOK 43.48

-55.46%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 46.99

$4.48 NOK 42.52

10.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 NOK 98.5

$12.90 NOK 122

-19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 NOK 113

$16.73 NOK 159

-28.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.60 NOK 290

$27.83 NOK 264

9.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.97

$3.48 NOK 33.01

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.97

$2.64 NOK 25.03

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.50

$3.11 NOK 29.53

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.27

$4.68 NOK 44.37

8.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.46

$2.08 NOK 19.77

13.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.38

$3.08 NOK 29.27

-23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NOK 19.31

$2.47 NOK 23.47

-17.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NOK 18.54

$1.83 NOK 17.38

6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 166

$14.97 NOK 142

17.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 NOK 177

$18.46 NOK 175

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.02

$3.68 NOK 34.89

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.66

$4.10 NOK 38.90

1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.25

$4.58 NOK 43.47

-0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NOK 609

$68.6 NOK 651

-6.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$15.31 NOK 145

-35.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.16

$2.06 NOK 19.57

-32.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 NOK 404

$100 NOK 953

-57.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.16

$2.11 NOK 20.01

0.47%

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

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

5.73%

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

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

31.90%

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

$217 NOK 2,063

$190 NOK 1,806

14.25%

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

$30.76 NOK 292

$42.20 NOK 401

-27.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 536

$83.1 NOK 789

-32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NOK 536

$55.9 NOK 531

1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 NOK 266

$35.16 NOK 334

-20.39%

Cinema Ticket

$18.07 NOK 172

$19.57 NOK 186

-7.66%

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

$206 NOK 1,960

$321 NOK 3,048

-35.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

13.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 985

$116 NOK 1,098

-10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 572

$58.0 NOK 550

3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,185

$107 NOK 1,017

16.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 947

$160 NOK 1,519

-37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

-26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 NOK 7,783

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

-27.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

-44.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

-19.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

-0.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

-15.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

-16.60%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Hamar and $1,595 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 20% 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: $123 in Hamar vs $120 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $438 vs $473, 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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,374 vs $2,689 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stavanger earns 20% 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: $1,171 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 8% 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 $123 versus $120 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,374 in Hamar versus $2,689 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 13% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.