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: $4,500 in Santa Monica, CA versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,801 in Santa Monica, CA versus $4,355 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,103 in Santa Monica, CA versus $5,681 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Santa Monica, CA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.93 $29.93

$23.41 NOK 218

27.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$119 NOK 1,110

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.99 $13.99

$12.56 NOK 117

11.39%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$6.72 NOK 62.6

-15.18%

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

$3.45 $3.45

$5.87 NOK 54.7

-41.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.60 NOK 42.82

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$12.33 NOK 115

-36.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.41 NOK 87.7

5.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.42 NOK 22.54

-45.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.34 NOK 40.42

16.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.56 NOK 33.13

38.20%

Eggs

$6.00 $6.00

$6.10 NOK 56.9

-1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.98 $16.98

$13.26 NOK 124

28.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.02 $14.02

$18.44 NOK 172

-23.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.12 $20.12

$35.83 NOK 334

-43.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.68 NOK 43.62

-2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.55 NOK 33.03

-46.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.46 NOK 41.58

2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.21 NOK 48.57

11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.95 NOK 27.45

11.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.83 NOK 26.35

-4.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.96 NOK 27.61

-26.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.40 NOK 22.37

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.80 $11.80

$16.07 NOK 150

-26.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 $16.79

$22.17 NOK 207

-24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.58 NOK 33.35

-39.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.28 NOK 39.88

-30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.16 NOK 38.72

-39.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 $66.8

$66.8 NOK 622

0.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$12.99 NOK 121

-77.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.69 NOK 15.76

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.96 $27.96

$72.7 NOK 677

-61.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.39 NOK 22.29

-38.91%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$42.7K NOK 397.8K

-14.43%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$50.0K NOK 466.3K

-47.60%

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

$256 $256

$338 NOK 3,153

-24.47%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$46.68 NOK 435

59.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$66.5 NOK 619

17.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.3 $73.3

$59.1 NOK 550

24.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.21 $44.21

$41.58 NOK 387

6.33%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 $19.87

$20.69 NOK 193

-3.96%

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

$1,926 $1,926

$174 NOK 1,621

1007.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K $32.7K

$11.1K NOK 103.3K

195.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 $89.1

$162 NOK 1,508

-44.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$79.4 NOK 740

-28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$144 NOK 1,343

-20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$114 NOK 1,061

27.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,423 $3,423

$1,391 NOK 13.0K

146.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,874 $2,874

$1,125 NOK 10.5K

155.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,931 $5,931

$1,851 NOK 17.2K

220.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,992 $4,992

$1,510 NOK 14.1K

230.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

$6,312 NOK 58.8K

69.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,198 $8,198

$4,204 NOK 39.2K

95.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,139 $7,139

$3,454 NOK 32.2K

106.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

4.95

29.70%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,423 in Santa Monica, CA and $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Monica, CA pays 107% 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 $119 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $560 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $3,423 in Santa Monica, CA versus $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,926 in Santa Monica, CA versus $174 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 49% less than in Santa Monica, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.