Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and Fredrikstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Fredrikstad: $2,983 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Monica, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Fredrikstad
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Fredrikstad Living Index

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Fredrikstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Monica, CA and in Fredrikstad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Monica, CA and in Fredrikstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA versus $2,983 in Fredrikstad.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Fredrikstad $2,983

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,581 in Santa Monica, CA versus $4,345 in Fredrikstad.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Fredrikstad $4,345

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,732 in Santa Monica, CA versus $5,707 in Fredrikstad.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Fredrikstad $5,707

Living in Santa Monica, CA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Fredrikstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Monica, CA 228% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$26.28 NOK 247

1.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$124 NOK 1,170

-4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.65 NOK 119

17.63%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$6.77 NOK 63.7

-12.41%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$5.55 NOK 52.3

-41.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$4.39 NOK 41.36

-45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$11.55 NOK 109

-29.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$9.57 NOK 90.1

3.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.34 NOK 22.00

-42.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.31 NOK 40.56

6.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.43 NOK 32.31

35.57%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$5.82 NOK 54.8

-1.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$13.06 NOK 123

20.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$17.96 NOK 169

-20.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$34.38 NOK 324

-42.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.37 NOK 31.71

41.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.64 NOK 34.24

-37.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.30 NOK 40.49

-8.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.00 NOK 47.06

9.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.63 NOK 24.74

25.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.71 NOK 25.53

4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.82 NOK 26.50

-24.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.33 NOK 21.95

6.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$15.51 NOK 146

-25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$22.16 NOK 209

-31.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.49 NOK 32.81

-30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.39 NOK 41.34

-30.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.11 NOK 38.71

-38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$64.5 NOK 607

3.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$12.56 NOK 118

-74.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.00 NOK 18.79

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$70.1 NOK 660

-53.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.30 NOK 21.64

-36.96%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$49.8K NOK 468.4K

-26.05%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$46.9K NOK 441.1K

-45.43%

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

$218 $218

$331 NOK 3,118

-34.25%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$45.60 NOK 429

1.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$66.9 NOK 630

-2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$58.3 NOK 549

21.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$40.86 NOK 385

7.95%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$20.19 NOK 190

-4.11%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$168 NOK 1,579

910.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$12.5K NOK 117.8K

159.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$155 NOK 1,459

-42.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$78.7 NOK 741

-30.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$144 NOK 1,358

-27.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$112 NOK 1,051

8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$1,329 NOK 12.5K

150.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

152.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$1,822 NOK 17.1K

218.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$1,516 NOK 14.3K

232.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$6,022 NOK 56.7K

80.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$4,131 NOK 38.9K

91.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$3,372 NOK 31.7K

104.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.95

33.74%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Fredrikstad

$1.1K 37.9% 60.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Fredrikstad

$540 18.1% 16.9% $78

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Fredrikstad

$446 15% 8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Fredrikstad

$444 14.9% 34.8% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Fredrikstad

$220 7.4% 32.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Fredrikstad

$99 3.3% 9.8% $11

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Fredrikstad

$103 3.5% 15.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA and $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Monica, CA pays 105% 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: $118 in Santa Monica, CA vs $124 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $540 per month, with Santa Monica, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇳🇴 Fredrikstad

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

01:25 1:25 AM

9 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

85,267

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Santa Monica, CA Fredrikstad 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Monica, CA
Fredrikstad

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

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

Fredrikstad is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA versus $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,694 in Santa Monica, CA versus $168 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 17% 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 48% less than in Santa Monica, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.