Cost of Living Comparison Between Holmestrand and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Holmestrand and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Holmestrand versus $2,741 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,585 in Holmestrand versus $4,135 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,811 in Holmestrand versus $5,530 in Stavanger.

Living in Holmestrand costs roughly 14% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Holmestrand 76% above, Stavanger 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.88 NOK 176

$25.17 NOK 234

-24.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 943

$121 NOK 1,128

-16.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 NOK 123

$15.07 NOK 140

-12.28%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 46.68

$4.98 NOK 46.28

0.80%

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

$1.98 NOK 18.38

$4.03 NOK 37.46

-50.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NOK 19.02

$3.35 NOK 31.18

-38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.17 NOK 85.3

$11.18 NOK 104

-17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.77 NOK 90.9

$10.23 NOK 95.2

-4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 NOK 15.43

$2.37 NOK 22.02

-29.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 NOK 30.87

$3.03 NOK 28.22

9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.09

$4.48 NOK 41.64

-54.24%

Eggs

$3.94 NOK 36.68

$4.35 NOK 40.46

-9.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 NOK 104

$13.27 NOK 123

-15.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.18 NOK 132

$16.31 NOK 152

-13.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.11 NOK 382

$27.77 NOK 258

48.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.30

$3.54 NOK 32.92

-41.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.57

$2.61 NOK 24.32

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 NOK 30.33

$3.00 NOK 27.90

8.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$4.66 NOK 43.33

-46.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 NOK 7.39

$2.12 NOK 19.73

-62.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 NOK 12.43

$2.97 NOK 27.59

-54.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 NOK 26.60

$2.50 NOK 23.27

14.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NOK 17.21

$1.76 NOK 16.39

5.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 NOK 130

$14.97 NOK 139

-6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.81 NOK 175

$18.93 NOK 176

-0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 NOK 27.92

$3.62 NOK 33.68

-17.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.36

$3.98 NOK 37.00

1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 40.42

$4.45 NOK 41.34

-2.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.0 NOK 679

$67.7 NOK 630

7.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.66 NOK 80.5

$15.12 NOK 141

-42.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NOK 8.99

$2.17 NOK 20.17

-55.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 949

$101 NOK 942

0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$2.14 NOK 19.91

-0.47%

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

$38.2K NOK 355.0K

$34.2K NOK 317.7K

11.72%

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

$34.2K NOK 317.8K

$32.6K NOK 303.0K

4.87%

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

$219 NOK 2,032

$193 NOK 1,796

13.17%

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

$42.93 NOK 399

$42.05 NOK 391

2.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.27 NOK 356

$82.6 NOK 768

-53.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.71 NOK 453

$56.6 NOK 527

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 336

$36.06 NOK 335

0.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 NOK 139

$19.57 NOK 182

-23.66%

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

$303 NOK 2,814

$322 NOK 2,992

-5.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 94.1K

$13.2K NOK 122.8K

-23.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 NOK 1,038

$120 NOK 1,116

-7.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.85 NOK 287

$59.8 NOK 556

-48.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 NOK 929

$105 NOK 973

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 NOK 1,200

$158 NOK 1,473

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

$1,639 NOK 15.2K

-26.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 NOK 8,168

$1,140 NOK 10.6K

-22.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 NOK 16.7K

$2,764 NOK 25.7K

-34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.4K

$1,791 NOK 16.7K

-13.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,023 NOK 56.0K

$5,956 NOK 55.4K

1.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,461 NOK 41.5K

$5,337 NOK 49.6K

-16.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 NOK 34.7K

$4,925 NOK 45.8K

-24.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

-55.65%

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

Last update for Holmestrand: April 21, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Holmestrand and $1,639 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 32% 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: $101 in Holmestrand vs $121 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $470 per month, with Holmestrand 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

Holmestrand vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Stavanger. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Holmestrand the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Stavanger earns 32% 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: $1,206 in Holmestrand versus $1,639 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Holmestrand versus $322 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Holmestrand versus $2,741 in Stavanger, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Holmestrand but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Holmestrand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Holmestrand delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,359 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Holmestrand hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.