Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillehammer and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Lillehammer: $1,521 a month against $3,248 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lillehammer, Norway
Stavanger, Norway
Lillehammer
🇳🇴 Norway
$1,521
/mo nomad
Stavanger
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,248
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lillehammer and in Stavanger

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lillehammer and in Stavanger actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,521 per month in Lillehammer vs $3,248 in Stavanger, rent included.

  • Lillehammer $1,521
  • Stavanger $3,248

A couple spends around $2,414 per month in Lillehammer vs $4,717 in Stavanger, rent included.

  • Lillehammer $2,414
  • Stavanger $4,717

A family of three spends $3,308 per month in Lillehammer vs $6,186 in Stavanger, rent included.

  • Lillehammer $3,308
  • Stavanger $6,186

Lillehammer is about 53% cheaper than Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lillehammer and Stavanger sit above the global median – Lillehammer by 12%, Stavanger by 139%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.22 NOK 160
$24.67 NOK 229
-30.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.6 NOK 805
$98.0 NOK 910
-11.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 NOK 136
$16.23 NOK 151
-9.74%
Cappuccino
$5.04 NOK 46.84
$6.22 NOK 57.7
-18.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 NOK 33.28
$5.89 NOK 54.7
-39.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 NOK 22.44
$4.53 NOK 42.07
-46.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$10.94 NOK 102
$13.76 NOK 128
-20.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.37 NOK 68.5
$10.62 NOK 98.7
-30.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.49 NOK 23.12
$2.53 NOK 23.48
-1.58%
White Bread (500g)
$3.50 NOK 32.48
$3.52 NOK 32.69
-0.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.69 NOK 34.30
$3.98 NOK 36.94
-7.29%
Eggs
$4.83 NOK 44.85
$4.75 NOK 44.17
1.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.57 NOK 126
$15.22 NOK 141
-10.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.04 NOK 158
$17.54 NOK 163
-2.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$32.03 NOK 298
$36.16 NOK 336
-11.42%
Apples (1kg)
$4.08 NOK 37.88
$3.53 NOK 32.81
15.58%
Banana (1kg)
$3.05 NOK 28.30
$2.86 NOK 26.55
6.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.94 NOK 36.62
$3.62 NOK 33.62
8.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.69 NOK 52.9
$4.93 NOK 45.80
15.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.99 NOK 27.76
$2.55 NOK 23.73
17.25%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 NOK 28.21
$3.11 NOK 28.91
-2.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.01 NOK 27.95
$2.90 NOK 26.91
3.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 NOK 21.11
$2.33 NOK 21.66
-2.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.85 NOK 166
$18.27 NOK 170
-2.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.12 NOK 178
$18.94 NOK 176
0.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.59 NOK 33.40
$3.80 NOK 35.34
-5.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.79 NOK 44.54
$4.51 NOK 41.90
6.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 NOK 22.44
$4.75 NOK 44.09
-49.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$85.4 NOK 794
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.64 NOK 89.5
$6.27 NOK 58.3
53.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 NOK 15.25
$1.80 NOK 16.73
-8.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.9 NOK 566
$106 NOK 983
-42.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.47 NOK 22.92
$2.46 NOK 22.90
0.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.0K NOK 436.3K
$49.1K NOK 456.2K
-4.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$46.9K NOK 435.8K
$42.2K NOK 392.2K
11.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$281 NOK 2,613
$260 NOK 2,412
8.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.85 NOK 333
$33.92 NOK 315
5.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$82.3 NOK 765
$79.9 NOK 742
2.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$52.0 NOK 483
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$37.64 NOK 350
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.23 NOK 179
$22.16 NOK 206
-13.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$303 NOK 2,818
$325 NOK 3,023
-6.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,579 NOK 42.5K
$14.3K NOK 133.2K
-68.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 NOK 1,021
$130 NOK 1,205
-15.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.6 NOK 488
$61.9 NOK 575
-15.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 NOK 1,160
$151 NOK 1,401
-17.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 NOK 1,473
$206 NOK 1,911
-22.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,090 NOK 10.1K
$1,805 NOK 16.8K
-39.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,429 NOK 13.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,895 NOK 26.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,145 NOK 19.9K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 NOK 31.5K
$6,468 NOK 60.1K
-47.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,373 NOK 12.8K
$5,430 NOK 50.4K
-74.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lillehammer
Stavanger
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,148 NOK 20.0K
$5,086 NOK 47.3K
-57.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
5.24
1.53%

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

Last update for Lillehammer: October 27, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Lillehammer
$519
Stavanger
$530 2.2% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillehammer
$399
Stavanger
$373 6.5% $26
Eating Out
Lillehammer
$336
Stavanger
$452 34.8% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Lillehammer
$201
Stavanger
$247 22.9% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Lillehammer
$38 *
Stavanger
$96 150% $58
Getting Around
Lillehammer
$28 *
Stavanger
$120 335% $92
Accommodation & Living
Lillehammer
- *
Stavanger
$1.4K

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,090 in Lillehammer versus $1,805 in Stavanger. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Stavanger are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Lillehammer versus $98 in Stavanger. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $519 vs $530 – making Lillehammer the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Lillehammer
🇳🇴 Stavanger
🕒 Local time
00:12 12:12 AM
00:12 12:12 AM
Same time as Lillehammer
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,831
149,330
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lillehammer Stavanger 350 km
From you
  • Lillehammer
  • Stavanger

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Lillehammer vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lillehammer or Stavanger?
Stavanger costs about 114% more than Lillehammer, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lillehammer and in Stavanger?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,281 per month in Lillehammer and $4,872 in Stavanger. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lillehammer or Stavanger?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lillehammer, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,090 there versus $1,805 in Stavanger.
How much does it cost to live in Lillehammer compared to Stavanger?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,521 in Lillehammer and $3,248 in Stavanger. That makes Lillehammer about 53% cheaper.
How do dining costs compare in Lillehammer and in Stavanger?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Lillehammer and $98 in Stavanger. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lillehammer or in Stavanger?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,521 in Lillehammer and $3,248 in Stavanger. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Lillehammer – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Lillehammer compared to Stavanger?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Lillehammer or to Stavanger?
If budget matters most, go with Lillehammer. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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