Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Staten Island, NY and Arendal

For one person, living is cheaper in Arendal: $2,723 a month against $2,998 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Staten Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

146

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Arendal
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Arendal Living Index

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Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Arendal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Staten Island, NY and in Arendal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,998 in Staten Island, NY versus $2,723 in Arendal.

Staten Island, NY $2,998
Arendal $2,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,498 in Staten Island, NY versus $3,887 in Arendal.

Staten Island, NY $4,498
Arendal $3,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,998 in Staten Island, NY versus $5,051 in Arendal.

Staten Island, NY $5,998
Arendal $5,051

Living in Staten Island, NY is roughly 10% more expensive than in Arendal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staten Island, NY 121% above, Arendal 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.72 $23.72

$20.04 NOK 189

18.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.8 $88.8

$66.9 NOK 630

32.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 $13.47

$15.74 NOK 148

-14.42%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.71 NOK 53.7

14.54%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$3.70 NOK 34.85

-27.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.19 NOK 30.04

-48.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$11.82 NOK 111

-33.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$10.75 NOK 101

-24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.52 NOK 23.75

-50.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.48 NOK 32.77

41.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.92 NOK 36.88

72.45%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$4.77 NOK 44.87

22.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$14.96 NOK 141

16.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$15.06 NOK 142

-7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$34.40 NOK 324

-44.16%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.51 NOK 33.02

93.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.72 NOK 25.61

28.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.53 NOK 33.25

72.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.75 NOK 44.74

43.37%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.59 NOK 24.42

57.92%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.17 NOK 29.86

35.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.85 NOK 26.80

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.32 NOK 21.84

22.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.80 $17.80

$17.55 NOK 165

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$14.86 NOK 140

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.74 NOK 35.20

-52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$4.49 NOK 42.22

-18.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.83 NOK 36.03

-22.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 NOK 854

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$6.32 NOK 59.5

-52.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.70 NOK 16.01

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$105 NOK 984

-59.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.25 NOK 21.19

-48.89%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$49.2K NOK 463.1K

-33.81%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$42.5K NOK 399.8K

-38.12%

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

$213 $213

$261 NOK 2,454

-18.19%

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

$75.0 $75.0

$34.82 NOK 328

115.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$79.7 NOK 750

-19.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$37.56 NOK 354

205.56%

Cinema Ticket

$20.36 $20.36

$16.23 NOK 153

25.45%

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

$2,001 $2,001

$325 NOK 3,059

515.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$14.4K NOK 135.3K

13.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 $71.9

$128 NOK 1,204

-43.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.12 $37.12

$43.77 NOK 412

-15.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$129 NOK 1,219

-21.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$207 NOK 1,945

-48.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 $1,851

$1,145 NOK 10.8K

61.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$1,043 NOK 9,820

36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,379 $3,379

$1,564 NOK 14.7K

115.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$1,491 NOK 14.0K

65.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,223 NOK 39.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,136 NOK 29.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,817 $6,817

$4,080 NOK 38.4K

67.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.68

45.30%

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

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arendal: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47.5%

Arendal

$1K 38.3% 26.7% $380

Groceries & Markets

Staten Island, NY

$517 17.3%

Arendal

$501 18.4% 3.2% $16

Eating Out

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7%

Arendal

$384 14.1% 0.8% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staten Island, NY

$352 11.8%

Arendal

$375 13.8% 6.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Staten Island, NY

$156 5.2%

Arendal

$70 2.6% 55% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Staten Island, NY

$143 4.8%

Arendal

$229 8.4% 60.1% $86

Getting Around

Staten Island, NY

$26 * 0.9%

Arendal

$121 4.4% 365% $95

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,851 in Staten Island, NY and $1,145 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 67% 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: $89.0 in Staten Island, NY vs $67.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $501 per month, with Arendal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🇳🇴 Arendal

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

06:36 6:36 AM

6 h ahead of Staten Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,747

46,406

💱 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Staten Island, NY Arendal 5,880 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Staten Island, NY
Arendal

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

Staten Island, NY vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Staten Island, NY and Arendal differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,998 vs $2,723 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Staten Island, NY, 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: $1,851 in Staten Island, NY versus $1,145 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,001 in Staten Island, NY versus $325 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arendal – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $89.0 in Staten Island, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arendal is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Staten Island, NY and Arendal 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 Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Staten Island, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.