Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose, CA and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose, CA and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,320 in San Jose, CA versus $2,773 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,260 in San Jose, CA versus $4,121 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,200 in San Jose, CA versus $5,469 in Stavanger.

Living in San Jose, CA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose, CA 223% above, Stavanger 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 $20.76

$25.15 NOK 243

-17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$124 NOK 1,196

-19.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 $11.29

$15.47 NOK 150

-27.02%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$5.09 NOK 49.21

14.73%

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

$3.29 $3.29

$3.97 NOK 38.36

-17.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.42 NOK 33.08

-28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.94 $8.94

$11.30 NOK 109

-20.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.93 $10.93

$10.04 NOK 97.0

8.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.43 NOK 23.52

-41.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.04 NOK 29.36

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$4.50 NOK 43.49

-30.00%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.44 NOK 42.90

11.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.42 $21.42

$12.96 NOK 125

65.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$16.11 NOK 156

-3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.24 $23.24

$27.22 NOK 263

-14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$3.47 NOK 33.57

76.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.54 NOK 24.51

-3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.10 NOK 29.99

54.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$4.76 NOK 46.01

42.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.16 NOK 20.84

62.96%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.09 NOK 29.84

43.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.61 NOK 25.18

17.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.74 NOK 16.83

65.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 $11.39

$14.94 NOK 144

-23.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 $15.72

$17.99 NOK 174

-12.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.49 NOK 33.76

-33.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.14 NOK 40.03

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$4.67 NOK 45.14

-47.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 $88.4

$68.4 NOK 661

29.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$15.04 NOK 145

-76.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.15 NOK 20.82

-10.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.23 $30.23

$101 NOK 978

-70.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.18 NOK 21.06

-39.45%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$34.5K NOK 333.4K

-11.90%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.2K NOK 320.6K

-17.88%

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

$294 $294

$191 NOK 1,846

54.06%

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

$49.17 $49.17

$43.05 NOK 416

14.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$81.9 NOK 792

-16.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$56.0 NOK 541

120.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.14 $30.14

$34.99 NOK 338

-13.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$19.39 NOK 187

-21.25%

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

$1,977 $1,977

$315 NOK 3,046

527.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$12.8K NOK 123.6K

102.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$119 NOK 1,155

-55.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 $44.13

$59.8 NOK 578

-26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$107 NOK 1,031

-18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$161 NOK 1,556

-15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,969 $2,969

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

83.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 $2,733

$1,134 NOK 11.0K

140.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,201 $5,201

$2,719 NOK 26.3K

91.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,535 $4,535

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

160.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,732 $8,732

$5,982 NOK 57.8K

45.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,052 $9,052

$5,156 NOK 49.8K

75.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,291 $6,291

$4,945 NOK 47.8K

27.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

4.51

44.35%

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

Last update for San Jose, CA: July 14, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,969 in San Jose, CA and $1,617 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose, CA pays 27% 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: $99.0 in San Jose, CA vs $124 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $521 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

San Jose, CA vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in San Jose, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stavanger the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in San Jose, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,969 in San Jose, CA versus $1,617 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Stavanger runs roughly 29% less than in San Jose, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,977 in San Jose, CA versus $315 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Stavanger delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,773 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Stavanger hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Jose, CA 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 Stavanger gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in San Jose, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.