Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandnes: $2,684 a month against $3,182 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Sandnes
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Sandnes Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Sandnes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,684

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Sandnes vs $3,182 in Stavanger, rent included.

Sandnes $2,684
Stavanger $3,182

A couple spends around $4,176 per month in Sandnes vs $4,594 in Stavanger, rent included.

Sandnes $4,176
Stavanger $4,594

A family of three spends $5,667 per month in Sandnes vs $6,007 in Stavanger, rent included.

Sandnes $5,667
Stavanger $6,007

Sandnes is about 16% cheaper than Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sandnes and Stavanger sit above the global median – Sandnes by 98%, Stavanger by 135%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 NOK 233

$24.06 NOK 227

3.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.5 NOK 918

$96.0 NOK 904

1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.49 NOK 146

$15.68 NOK 148

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$5.71 NOK 53.7

$6.18 NOK 58.2

-7.61%

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

$3.41 NOK 32.10

$5.74 NOK 54.1

-40.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.85

$4.51 NOK 42.48

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.93 NOK 131

$14.04 NOK 132

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.58 NOK 99.6

$10.57 NOK 99.5

0.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 22.94

$2.52 NOK 23.72

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 31.76

$3.51 NOK 33.07

-3.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.82

$3.97 NOK 37.39

-36.27%

Eggs

$4.80 NOK 45.17

$4.79 NOK 45.06

0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 124

$14.72 NOK 139

-10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.83 NOK 149

$17.47 NOK 164

-9.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.80 NOK 299

$36.08 NOK 340

-11.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.10

$3.52 NOK 33.12

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 NOK 26.77

$2.84 NOK 26.71

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.86

$3.61 NOK 33.98

-12.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NOK 46.32

$4.94 NOK 46.50

-0.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.57

$2.62 NOK 24.64

-0.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.80

$3.19 NOK 30.06

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 NOK 27.14

$2.75 NOK 25.91

4.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 NOK 22.29

$2.31 NOK 21.76

2.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.64 NOK 157

$17.56 NOK 165

-5.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.08 NOK 161

$19.06 NOK 179

-10.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NOK 30.12

$3.82 NOK 35.97

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.83

$4.60 NOK 43.28

-8.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 NOK 44.29

$4.70 NOK 44.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 NOK 803

$88.6 NOK 834

-3.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 NOK 60.6

$6.33 NOK 59.6

1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.92

$1.72 NOK 16.19

4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.81 NOK 460

$103 NOK 973

-52.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 NOK 21.00

$2.39 NOK 22.47

-6.69%

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

$43.2K NOK 406.7K

$49.2K NOK 462.7K

-12.10%

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

$39.0K NOK 366.7K

$41.3K NOK 388.4K

-5.60%

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

$266 NOK 2,499

$262 NOK 2,466

1.34%

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

$34.10 NOK 321

$34.42 NOK 324

-0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 NOK 746

$79.6 NOK 749

-0.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 NOK 429

$54.4 NOK 512

-16.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.4 NOK 503

$37.43 NOK 352

42.64%

Cinema Ticket

$19.40 NOK 183

$22.32 NOK 210

-13.08%

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

$292 NOK 2,748

$331 NOK 3,112

-11.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,662 NOK 91.0K

$14.4K NOK 135.5K

-32.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,200

$129 NOK 1,218

-1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 NOK 572

$60.9 NOK 573

-0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,147

$147 NOK 1,383

-17.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 NOK 1,782

$204 NOK 1,919

-7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 NOK 12.6K

$1,691 NOK 15.9K

-21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 NOK 9,056

$1,367 NOK 12.9K

-29.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 NOK 18.8K

$2,768 NOK 26.1K

-27.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 NOK 17.1K

$1,987 NOK 18.7K

-8.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,005 NOK 65.9K

$6,409 NOK 60.3K

9.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,050 NOK 38.1K

$5,282 NOK 49.7K

-23.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,781 NOK 35.6K

$5,084 NOK 47.9K

-25.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

5.24

-0.38%

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

Last update for Sandnes: October 18, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sandnes

$962 35.8%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43% 42.1% $405

Groceries & Markets

Sandnes

$485 18.1%

Stavanger

$528 16.6% 9% $44

Eating Out

Sandnes

$430 16%

Stavanger

$446 14% 3.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandnes

$379 14.1%

Stavanger

$376 11.8% 0.8% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Sandnes

$225 8.4%

Stavanger

$243 7.7% 8.3% $19

Getting Around

Sandnes

$120 4.5%

Stavanger

$122 3.8% 2.3% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sandnes

$84 3.1%

Stavanger

$99 3.1% 17.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,333 in Sandnes versus $1,691 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 run about 34% higher in Stavanger, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Sandnes versus $96.0 in Stavanger. Groceries tell a different story – $485 in Sandnes vs $528 in Stavanger – so Sandnes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Sandnes

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Sandnes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,958

149,330

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sandnes Stavanger 38 km

From you

Sandnes
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

Sandnes vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stavanger is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,026 per month in Sandnes and $4,773 in Stavanger. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandnes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $292 per month in Sandnes and $331 in Stavanger. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Stavanger, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,684 in Sandnes and $3,182 in Stavanger. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sandnes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sandnes. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.