Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $3,138 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,336 per month in Skien vs $3,138 in Stavanger, rent included.

Skien $2,336
Stavanger $3,138

A couple spends around $3,267 per month in Skien vs $4,570 in Stavanger, rent included.

Skien $3,267
Stavanger $4,570

A family of three spends $4,197 per month in Skien vs $6,002 in Stavanger, rent included.

Skien $4,197
Stavanger $6,002

Skien is about 26% cheaper than Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Skien and Stavanger sit above the global median – Skien by 73%, Stavanger by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$24.72 NOK 233

-14.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$95.7 NOK 901

7.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$15.96 NOK 150

-3.07%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$6.23 NOK 58.6

-17.98%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$5.20 NOK 48.94

-16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$4.26 NOK 40.09

-30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$13.68 NOK 129

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$11.94 NOK 112

3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$2.44 NOK 22.95

-13.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$3.52 NOK 33.10

11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$3.85 NOK 36.29

18.70%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$4.72 NOK 44.40

19.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$14.37 NOK 135

-8.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$16.68 NOK 157

-9.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$35.66 NOK 336

-38.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$3.46 NOK 32.59

-3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$2.78 NOK 26.19

-2.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$3.38 NOK 31.79

3.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$4.92 NOK 46.33

20.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$2.49 NOK 23.42

-10.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$2.98 NOK 28.05

-6.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$2.83 NOK 26.63

7.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$2.35 NOK 22.09

5.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$17.60 NOK 166

8.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$18.73 NOK 176

-15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$3.74 NOK 35.21

-10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$4.42 NOK 41.58

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$4.64 NOK 43.68

-29.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$84.1 NOK 792

-43.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$6.07 NOK 57.1

83.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$1.70 NOK 16.01

6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$102 NOK 961

-30.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.43 NOK 22.85

-6.58%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$48.3K NOK 455.1K

-1.72%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$42.0K NOK 395.1K

3.31%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$249 NOK 2,346

-62.34%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$34.59 NOK 326

-2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$80.9 NOK 762

-33.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$50.2 NOK 473

-14.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 NOK 347

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$21.38 NOK 201

-28.48%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$320 NOK 3,014

-25.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

10.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$126 NOK 1,183

-49.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$58.8 NOK 553

2.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$149 NOK 1,406

-41.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$198 NOK 1,865

-22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$1,697 NOK 16.0K

-38.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$1,356 NOK 12.8K

-28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$2,735 NOK 25.7K

-62.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$2,042 NOK 19.2K

-54.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$6,207 NOK 58.4K

-45.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$5,292 NOK 49.8K

-40.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$5,011 NOK 47.2K

-15.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.27

-17.08%

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

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skien

$975 41.8%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.2% 39% $381

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Stavanger

$517 16.5% 10.2% $48

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Stavanger

$450 14.4% 15.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Stavanger

$365 11.6% 101% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Stavanger

$239 7.6% 45.7% $75

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Stavanger

$117 3.7% 44.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Stavanger

$93 3% 26.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,042 in Skien versus $1,697 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 18% 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 $103 in Skien versus $96.0 in Stavanger. Groceries tell a different story – $470 in Skien vs $517 in Stavanger – so Skien wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

Same time as Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

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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Between locations

Skien Stavanger 220 km

From you

Skien
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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

Skien vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stavanger is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,504 per month in Skien and $4,708 in Stavanger. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Skien and $96.0 in Stavanger. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,336 in Skien and $3,138 in Stavanger. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Skien, where all-in costs run around $2,336, than in Stavanger at $3,138. In Skien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skien – 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 Skien. 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.