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: $4,372 in San Jose, CA versus $2,744 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,339 in San Jose, CA versus $4,187 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,306 in San Jose, CA versus $5,629 in Stavanger.

Living in San Jose, CA is roughly 59% more expensive than Stavanger, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose, CA 226% above, Stavanger 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 $20.83

$25.49 NOK 238

-18.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$121 NOK 1,128

-18.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 $11.68

$15.31 NOK 143

-23.71%

Cappuccino

$5.99 $5.99

$5.17 NOK 48.27

15.86%

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

$3.36 $3.36

$4.04 NOK 37.75

-16.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.47 NOK 32.36

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.21 $9.21

$11.15 NOK 104

-17.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.84 $10.84

$10.27 NOK 95.9

5.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.45 NOK 22.85

-39.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.02 NOK 28.17

64.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$4.56 NOK 42.59

-30.04%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$4.46 NOK 41.66

8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.57 $21.57

$13.11 NOK 122

64.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$16.72 NOK 156

-6.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.16 $23.16

$27.15 NOK 253

-14.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.58 NOK 33.43

69.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.56 NOK 23.92

-3.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.98 NOK 27.86

61.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$4.61 NOK 43.04

41.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.09 NOK 19.51

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.09 NOK 28.84

40.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.50 NOK 23.38

22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.81 NOK 16.89

59.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 $11.15

$15.37 NOK 143

-27.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$19.14 NOK 179

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.63 NOK 33.87

-37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.13 NOK 38.58

-18.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$4.66 NOK 43.52

-47.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 $91.2

$67.1 NOK 626

35.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$14.97 NOK 140

-77.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.12 NOK 19.80

-9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$99.8 NOK 932

-70.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.15 NOK 20.05

-40.93%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$34.0K NOK 317.3K

-10.06%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$32.8K NOK 305.9K

-18.55%

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

$289 $289

$191 NOK 1,787

50.80%

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

$48.37 $48.37

$42.73 NOK 399

13.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$81.9 NOK 765

-16.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$55.8 NOK 521

123.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.13 $30.13

$35.64 NOK 333

-15.46%

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 $15.30

$19.51 NOK 182

-21.58%

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

$1,961 $1,961

$318 NOK 2,971

516.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K $25.8K

$12.8K NOK 119.2K

102.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$119 NOK 1,112

-54.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.66 $44.66

$58.3 NOK 544

-23.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 $89.6

$106 NOK 986

-15.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$157 NOK 1,467

-12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,016 $3,016

$1,604 NOK 15.0K

88.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$1,115 NOK 10.4K

147.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,329 $5,329

$2,756 NOK 25.7K

93.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,600 $4,600

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

164.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,620 $8,620

$6,190 NOK 57.8K

39.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,112 $9,112

$5,435 NOK 50.7K

67.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,225 $6,225

$4,992 NOK 46.6K

24.68%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,016 in San Jose, CA and $1,604 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: $99.0 in San Jose, CA vs $121 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $521 vs $472, 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 59% 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.

San Jose, CA pays 25% more on average, 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: $3,016 in San Jose, CA versus $1,604 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 36% less than in San Jose, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,961 in San Jose, CA versus $318 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 $2,744 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 59% less than in San Jose, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.