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: $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,744 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $4,187 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $5,629 in Stavanger.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 12% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 81% above, Stavanger 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$25.49 NOK 241

-46.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$121 NOK 1,142

-1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$15.31 NOK 145

0.13%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$5.17 NOK 48.88

17.02%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$4.04 NOK 38.23

-14.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$3.47 NOK 32.77

-13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$11.15 NOK 105

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$10.27 NOK 97.1

10.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$2.45 NOK 23.13

-5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$3.02 NOK 28.53

4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$4.56 NOK 43.13

-34.21%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$4.46 NOK 42.19

-6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$13.11 NOK 124

-19.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$16.72 NOK 158

-10.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$27.15 NOK 257

36.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$3.58 NOK 33.85

13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$2.56 NOK 24.22

4.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$2.98 NOK 28.21

16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$4.61 NOK 43.59

1.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$2.09 NOK 19.76

-4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$3.09 NOK 29.21

-35.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$2.50 NOK 23.68

10.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$1.81 NOK 17.11

-1.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$15.37 NOK 145

-1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$19.14 NOK 181

-16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$3.63 NOK 34.29

-1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$4.13 NOK 39.06

8.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$4.66 NOK 44.07

27.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$67.1 NOK 634

21.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$14.97 NOK 141

-16.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$2.12 NOK 20.05

-32.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$99.8 NOK 943

-48.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$2.15 NOK 20.31

-1.86%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$34.0K NOK 321.3K

-1.08%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$32.8K NOK 309.8K

-5.86%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$191 NOK 1,809

-16.60%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$42.73 NOK 404

-22.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$81.9 NOK 774

-5.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$55.8 NOK 528

-11.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$35.64 NOK 337

1.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$19.51 NOK 184

-12.92%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$318 NOK 3,009

3.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$12.8K NOK 120.7K

-59.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$119 NOK 1,126

-35.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$58.3 NOK 551

-42.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$106 NOK 998

11.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$157 NOK 1,486

-14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$1,604 NOK 15.2K

-17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$1,115 NOK 10.5K

-9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$2,756 NOK 26.1K

-19.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$1,738 NOK 16.4K

-14.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$6,190 NOK 58.5K

-2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$5,435 NOK 51.4K

-16.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$4,992 NOK 47.2K

-28.27%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $1,604 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 39% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $121 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $476 vs $472, 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Stavanger earns 39% 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $1,604 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 1% 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 $119 versus $121 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,744 in Stavanger, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Harstad but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Harstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 13% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.