Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose, CA and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Stavanger: $3,138 a month against $4,378 in San Jose, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Jose, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Jose, CA
Learn more

San Jose, CA Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
Learn more

Stavanger Living Index

Jump to prices

San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,378

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose, CA 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 San Jose, CA and in Stavanger actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,378 in San Jose, CA versus $3,138 in Stavanger.

San Jose, CA $4,378
Stavanger $3,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,147 in San Jose, CA versus $4,570 in Stavanger.

San Jose, CA $6,147
Stavanger $4,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,916 in San Jose, CA versus $6,002 in Stavanger.

San Jose, CA $7,916
Stavanger $6,002

Living in San Jose, CA is roughly 39% more expensive than in Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose, CA 224% above, Stavanger 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 $22.37

$24.72 NOK 233

-9.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$95.7 NOK 901

4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$15.96 NOK 150

-25.13%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$6.23 NOK 58.6

-4.49%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$5.20 NOK 48.94

-38.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$4.26 NOK 40.09

-45.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 $9.08

$13.68 NOK 129

-33.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$11.94 NOK 112

-17.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.44 NOK 22.95

-31.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.52 NOK 33.10

29.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.85 NOK 36.29

4.16%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$4.72 NOK 44.40

24.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$14.37 NOK 135

38.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$16.68 NOK 157

-14.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.06 $22.06

$35.66 NOK 336

-38.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.46 NOK 32.59

48.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.78 NOK 26.19

-30.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$3.38 NOK 31.79

66.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.92 NOK 46.33

13.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.49 NOK 23.42

46.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.98 NOK 28.05

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.83 NOK 26.63

-13.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.35 NOK 22.09

5.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 $11.73

$17.60 NOK 166

-33.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$18.73 NOK 176

-16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.74 NOK 35.21

-34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.42 NOK 41.58

-23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$4.64 NOK 43.68

-47.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$84.1 NOK 792

6.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$6.07 NOK 57.1

-42.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.70 NOK 16.01

74.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.48 $30.48

$102 NOK 961

-70.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.43 NOK 22.85

-37.86%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$48.3K NOK 455.1K

-24.91%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$42.0K NOK 395.1K

-39.32%

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

$273 $273

$249 NOK 2,346

9.57%

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

$47.11 $47.11

$34.59 NOK 326

36.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.3 $84.3

$80.9 NOK 762

4.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$142 $142

$50.2 NOK 473

182.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.45 $24.45

$36.81 NOK 347

-33.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.89 $16.89

$21.38 NOK 201

-21.00%

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

$1,829 $1,829

$320 NOK 3,014

471.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

175.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 $59.3

$126 NOK 1,183

-52.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$58.8 NOK 553

-14.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 $98.7

$149 NOK 1,406

-33.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$198 NOK 1,865

-38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,133 $3,133

$1,697 NOK 16.0K

84.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 $2,665

$1,356 NOK 12.8K

96.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,768 $4,768

$2,735 NOK 25.7K

74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,128 $4,128

$2,042 NOK 19.2K

102.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,009 $9,009

$6,207 NOK 58.4K

45.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,111 $9,111

$5,292 NOK 49.8K

72.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,253 $6,253

$5,011 NOK 47.2K

24.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.27

26.57%

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

Last update for San Jose, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Jose, CA

$2.7K 60.9%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.2% 49.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose, CA

$493 11.3%

Stavanger

$517 16.5% 4.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose, CA

$404 9.2%

Stavanger

$365 11.6% 9.8% $40

Eating Out

San Jose, CA

$374 8.5%

Stavanger

$450 14.4% 20.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose, CA

$176 4%

Stavanger

$93 3% 47.1% $83

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose, CA

$148 3.4%

Stavanger

$239 7.6% 61.3% $91

Getting Around

San Jose, CA

$117 2.7%

Stavanger

$117 3.7% 0.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,133 in San Jose, CA and $1,697 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose, CA pays 25% 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: $100 in San Jose, CA vs $96.0 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $493 vs $517, with San Jose, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

09:45 9:45 AM

18:45 6:45 PM

9 h ahead of San Jose, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,035,317

149,330

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose, CA Stavanger 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose, CA
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

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

Stavanger wins on cost – living expenses run 39% 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 25% 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: $3,133 in San Jose, CA versus $1,697 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 6% less than in San Jose, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,829 in San Jose, CA versus $320 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 $3,138 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 39% less than in San Jose, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.