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: $4,415 in San Jose, CA versus $3,179 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,196 in San Jose, CA versus $4,668 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,977 in San Jose, CA versus $6,158 in Stavanger.

Living in San Jose, CA is roughly 39% more expensive than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose, CA 221% above, Stavanger 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.78 $22.78

$26.10 NOK 242

-12.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 $116

$100 NOK 929

16.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$15.98 NOK 148

-26.28%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$6.53 NOK 60.7

-7.20%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$5.57 NOK 51.7

-43.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$4.55 NOK 42.21

-47.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.76 $8.76

$13.62 NOK 126

-35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 $10.19

$12.09 NOK 112

-15.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.49 NOK 23.11

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.60 NOK 33.46

26.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.96 NOK 36.73

5.30%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.97 NOK 46.18

19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.01 $20.01

$14.64 NOK 136

36.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$17.53 NOK 163

-19.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.46 $21.46

$35.75 NOK 332

-39.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$3.70 NOK 34.37

45.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.86 NOK 26.53

-30.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.58 NOK 33.20

50.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$4.90 NOK 45.45

13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.60 NOK 24.18

35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.17 NOK 29.42

-8.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.90 NOK 26.95

-16.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.31 NOK 21.46

10.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$17.65 NOK 164

-33.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.71 $15.71

$19.17 NOK 178

-18.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.85 NOK 35.74

-33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$4.61 NOK 42.76

-28.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.89 NOK 45.43

-47.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 $89.7

$87.1 NOK 809

2.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$6.48 NOK 60.1

-46.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.78 NOK 16.56

70.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$105 NOK 976

-71.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.32 NOK 21.58

-37.50%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$48.7K NOK 452.4K

-23.92%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$41.8K NOK 388.4K

-37.82%

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

$272 $272

$257 NOK 2,389

5.87%

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

$48.54 $48.54

$35.59 NOK 330

36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 $82.2

$84.9 NOK 788

-3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$141 $141

$52.6 NOK 489

167.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 $24.69

$36.90 NOK 343

-33.09%

Cinema Ticket

$16.80 $16.80

$22.33 NOK 207

-24.76%

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

$1,823 $1,823

$325 NOK 3,018

460.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.2K $40.2K

$14.4K NOK 133.5K

179.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$126 NOK 1,169

-53.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$60.7 NOK 564

-16.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$155 NOK 1,440

-34.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$203 NOK 1,886

-41.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,058 $3,058

$1,746 NOK 16.2K

75.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,587 $2,587

$1,387 NOK 12.9K

86.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,867 $4,867

$2,840 NOK 26.4K

71.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,128 $4,128

$2,044 NOK 19.0K

101.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,745 $8,745

$6,241 NOK 57.9K

40.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,923 $8,923

$5,530 NOK 51.3K

61.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,228 $6,228

$5,111 NOK 47.5K

21.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

5.27

17.08%

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

Last update for San Jose, CA: August 30, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,058 in San Jose, CA and $1,746 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose, CA pays 22% 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: $116 in San Jose, CA vs $100 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $493 vs $530, with San Jose, CA 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 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 22% 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: $3,058 in San Jose, CA versus $1,746 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 3% less than in San Jose, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,823 in San Jose, CA versus $325 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 $3,179 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.