Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and Fredrikstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and Fredrikstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,542 in Santa Monica, CA versus $2,682 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,988 in Santa Monica, CA versus $4,010 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,433 in Santa Monica, CA versus $5,338 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Santa Monica, CA is roughly 69% more expensive than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Monica, CA 240% above, Fredrikstad 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.58 $24.58

$17.97 NOK 173

36.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$114 NOK 1,093

-13.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$11.91 NOK 115

3.69%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$5.34 NOK 51.4

6.37%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$3.97 NOK 38.21

-25.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.74 NOK 26.44

-14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.58 $8.58

$11.01 NOK 106

-22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.22 $9.22

$10.29 NOK 99.1

-10.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.19 NOK 21.07

-43.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$4.25 NOK 40.97

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.27 NOK 31.50

32.42%

Eggs

$7.20 $7.20

$5.22 NOK 50.3

37.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 $12.54

$11.78 NOK 113

6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.87 $13.87

$16.02 NOK 154

-13.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 $14.69

$34.17 NOK 329

-57.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.51 NOK 43.45

22.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.52 NOK 33.91

-44.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.50 NOK 43.34

-10.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$5.04 NOK 48.57

13.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.75 NOK 26.49

10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.66 NOK 25.61

-8.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.64 NOK 25.47

-26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.85 NOK 17.79

14.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 $11.03

$14.87 NOK 143

-25.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$21.86 NOK 211

-31.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.43 NOK 33.00

-23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 $5.33

$6.11 NOK 58.9

-12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.87 NOK 37.30

-46.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 $80.8

$63.7 NOK 613

26.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$6.22 NOK 59.9

-50.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.46 NOK 14.02

16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.83 $28.83

$52.3 NOK 503

-44.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.27 NOK 21.90

-43.17%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$35.1K NOK 337.9K

-31.07%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$39.1K NOK 376.6K

-33.30%

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

$191 $191

$339 NOK 3,268

-43.57%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$37.93 NOK 365

54.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$57.0 NOK 549

16.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$119 $119

$48.85 NOK 470

142.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.25 $45.25

$39.15 NOK 377

15.58%

Cinema Ticket

$18.26 $18.26

$22.16 NOK 213

-17.60%

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

$1,768 $1,768

$284 NOK 2,734

522.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K $14.9K

$10.2K NOK 98.2K

45.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$154 NOK 1,483

-59.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.53 $34.53

$60.2 NOK 580

-42.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$166 NOK 1,604

-38.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$133 NOK 1,278

12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,294 $3,294

$1,266 NOK 12.2K

160.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,914 $2,914

$943 NOK 9,086

208.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,874 $6,874

$2,100 NOK 20.2K

227.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,902 $5,902

$1,541 NOK 14.8K

283.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K $10.5K

$5,874 NOK 56.6K

79.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,920 $7,920

$3,915 NOK 37.7K

102.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,934 $6,934

$3,227 NOK 31.1K

114.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

4.25

52.71%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: July 14, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,294 in Santa Monica, CA and $1,266 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Monica, CA pays 115% 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: $98.0 in Santa Monica, CA vs $114 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 vs $523 per month, with Santa Monica, CA cheaper across the board.

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

Santa Monica, CA vs Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fredrikstad is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Santa Monica, 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: $3,294 in Santa Monica, CA versus $1,266 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,768 in Santa Monica, CA versus $284 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Monica, CA pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

For families, Fredrikstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Monica, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Monica, CA and Fredrikstad 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 Fredrikstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Santa Monica, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.