Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,424 in Harstad versus $2,773 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Harstad versus $4,121 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,957 in Harstad versus $5,469 in Stavanger.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 13% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 81% above, Stavanger 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.40 NOK 129

$25.15 NOK 243

-46.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,160

$124 NOK 1,194

-2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.02 NOK 145

$15.47 NOK 149

-2.91%

Cappuccino

$6.02 NOK 58.1

$5.09 NOK 49.13

18.27%

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

$3.60 NOK 34.74

$3.97 NOK 38.30

-9.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 28.70

$3.42 NOK 33.02

-13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 NOK 106

$11.30 NOK 109

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.02 NOK 106

$10.04 NOK 96.9

9.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.53

$2.43 NOK 23.48

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 NOK 30.77

$3.04 NOK 29.31

4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.07

$4.50 NOK 43.42

-33.11%

Eggs

$4.15 NOK 40.01

$4.44 NOK 42.83

-6.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 NOK 101

$12.96 NOK 125

-19.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 147

$16.11 NOK 156

-5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.47 NOK 362

$27.22 NOK 263

37.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 38.26

$3.47 NOK 33.51

14.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 26.61

$2.54 NOK 24.47

8.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 33.42

$3.10 NOK 29.94

11.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.96

$4.76 NOK 45.93

-2.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 20.05

$2.16 NOK 20.81

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.99

$3.09 NOK 29.80

-33.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 NOK 26.35

$2.61 NOK 25.14

4.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NOK 16.44

$1.74 NOK 16.80

-2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 NOK 142

$14.94 NOK 144

-1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 NOK 147

$17.99 NOK 174

-15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 NOK 35.22

$3.49 NOK 33.71

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 NOK 45.21

$4.14 NOK 39.96

13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.00 NOK 57.9

$4.67 NOK 45.06

28.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 777

$68.4 NOK 660

17.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.88 NOK 124

$15.04 NOK 145

-14.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.94

$2.15 NOK 20.79

-33.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 495

$101 NOK 977

-49.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.33

$2.18 NOK 21.02

1.38%

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

$33.1K NOK 319.3K

$34.5K NOK 332.8K

-4.06%

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

$30.1K NOK 290.9K

$33.2K NOK 320.1K

-9.12%

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

$162 NOK 1,562

$191 NOK 1,843

-15.27%

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

$32.61 NOK 315

$43.05 NOK 416

-24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.5 NOK 738

$81.9 NOK 791

-6.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.10 NOK 474

$56.0 NOK 540

-12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.81 NOK 336

$34.99 NOK 338

-0.51%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 NOK 163

$19.39 NOK 187

-13.05%

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

$335 NOK 3,230

$315 NOK 3,041

6.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 NOK 48.3K

$12.8K NOK 123.4K

-60.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 NOK 746

$119 NOK 1,153

-35.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 315

$59.8 NOK 577

-45.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,125

$107 NOK 1,030

9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 NOK 1,284

$161 NOK 1,554

-17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 NOK 12.6K

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

-19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NOK 9,847

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

-10.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 NOK 21.4K

$2,719 NOK 26.2K

-18.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 NOK 14.4K

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

-13.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,722 NOK 55.2K

$5,982 NOK 57.7K

-4.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,857 NOK 37.2K

$5,156 NOK 49.8K

-25.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,409 NOK 32.9K

$4,945 NOK 47.7K

-31.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

4.51

-5.32%

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

Last update for Harstad: July 13, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Harstad and $1,617 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 45% 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: $120 in Harstad vs $124 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $466, with Stavanger 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

Harstad vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $1,302 in Harstad versus $1,617 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Harstad – a meal for two runs $120 versus $124 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Harstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Harstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harstad 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 Harstad 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.