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: $4,561 in Santa Monica, CA versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,985 in Santa Monica, CA versus $4,055 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,408 in Santa Monica, CA versus $5,418 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Santa Monica, CA is roughly 69% more expensive than 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

$25.17 $25.17

$18.53 NOK 172

35.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$110 NOK 1,018

-10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$11.98 NOK 111

3.09%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.16 NOK 47.91

8.33%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$3.90 NOK 36.25

-24.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.80 NOK 25.98

-19.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 $8.61

$11.30 NOK 105

-23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$10.19 NOK 94.7

-9.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.17 NOK 20.17

-45.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.45 NOK 41.36

-3.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.23 NOK 30.00

35.29%

Eggs

$6.99 $6.99

$5.46 NOK 50.8

28.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$11.89 NOK 110

4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$15.75 NOK 146

-11.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 $14.69

$33.73 NOK 313

-56.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.74 NOK 44.06

18.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.45 NOK 32.09

-42.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.50 NOK 41.83

-12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$5.06 NOK 47.00

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.89 NOK 26.81

2.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.75 NOK 25.58

-8.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.73 NOK 25.40

-30.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.82 NOK 16.94

18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 $10.97

$15.09 NOK 140

-27.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$22.89 NOK 213

-33.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.32 NOK 30.80

-24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.01 NOK 55.8

-14.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.90 NOK 36.22

-44.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 $78.8

$62.3 NOK 579

26.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$6.15 NOK 57.1

-50.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.46 NOK 13.56

17.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.91 $28.91

$53.8 NOK 500

-46.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.32 NOK 21.58

-43.97%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$35.3K NOK 328.0K

-31.04%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$37.8K NOK 351.5K

-33.52%

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

$192 $192

$336 NOK 3,119

-42.88%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$38.13 NOK 354

54.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$56.0 NOK 520

17.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$48.08 NOK 447

153.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.04 $45.04

$39.46 NOK 367

14.14%

Cinema Ticket

$18.15 $18.15

$21.86 NOK 203

-16.97%

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

$1,806 $1,806

$283 NOK 2,629

538.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K $14.8K

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

46.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$149 NOK 1,383

-58.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.90 $34.90

$61.3 NOK 569

-43.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$166 NOK 1,539

-37.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$134 NOK 1,242

14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,293 $3,293

$1,288 NOK 12.0K

155.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 $2,878

$953 NOK 8,851

202.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,994 $6,994

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

241.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,951 $5,951

$1,537 NOK 14.3K

287.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K $10.8K

$6,150 NOK 57.1K

76.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,190 $8,190

$4,533 NOK 42.1K

80.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,147 $7,147

$3,416 NOK 31.7K

109.24%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,293 in Santa Monica, CA and $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Monica, CA pays 109% 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 $110 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $526 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.

Santa Monica, CA pays 109% 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: $3,293 in Santa Monica, CA versus $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,806 in Santa Monica, CA versus $283 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 21% 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.