Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Alesund

For one person, living is cheaper in Alesund: $2,402 a month against $3,248 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stavanger, Norway
Alesund, Norway
Stavanger
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,248
/mo nomad
Alesund
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,402
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Alesund

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

A single person spends $3,248 per month in Stavanger vs $2,402 in Alesund, rent included.

  • Stavanger $3,248
  • Alesund $2,402

A couple spends around $4,717 per month in Stavanger vs $3,767 in Alesund, rent included.

  • Stavanger $4,717
  • Alesund $3,767

A family of three spends $6,186 per month in Stavanger vs $5,132 in Alesund, rent included.

  • Stavanger $6,186
  • Alesund $5,132

Stavanger costs about 35% more than Alesund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Stavanger and Alesund sit above the global median – Stavanger by 139%, Alesund by 76%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.67 NOK 229
$21.78 NOK 202
13.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.0 NOK 910
$90.0 NOK 837
8.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.23 NOK 151
$13.36 NOK 124
21.48%
Cappuccino
$6.22 NOK 57.7
$4.35 NOK 40.45
42.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.89 NOK 54.7
$2.13 NOK 19.78
176.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 NOK 42.07
$2.40 NOK 22.29
88.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.76 NOK 128
$11.75 NOK 109
17.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.62 NOK 98.7
$9.56 NOK 88.8
11.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 NOK 23.48
$2.24 NOK 20.81
12.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 NOK 32.69
$3.12 NOK 28.95
12.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.98 NOK 36.94
$3.19 NOK 29.60
24.76%
Eggs
$4.75 NOK 44.17
$4.56 NOK 42.37
4.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.22 NOK 141
$15.29 NOK 142
-0.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.54 NOK 163
$14.24 NOK 132
23.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$36.16 NOK 336
$21.59 NOK 201
67.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.53 NOK 32.81
$2.71 NOK 25.19
30.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.86 NOK 26.55
$2.34 NOK 21.70
22.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.62 NOK 33.62
$2.26 NOK 21.02
60.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.93 NOK 45.80
$3.78 NOK 35.10
30.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 NOK 23.73
$2.59 NOK 24.02
-1.54%
Onion (1kg)
$3.11 NOK 28.91
$1.57 NOK 14.55
98.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.90 NOK 26.91
$2.98 NOK 27.67
-2.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 NOK 21.66
$1.80 NOK 16.74
29.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.27 NOK 170
$15.82 NOK 147
15.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.94 NOK 176
$19.63 NOK 182
-3.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.80 NOK 35.34
$3.59 NOK 33.39
5.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51 NOK 41.90
$4.06 NOK 37.71
11.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.75 NOK 44.09
$5.04 NOK 46.83
-5.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.4 NOK 794
$90.3 NOK 838
-5.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.27 NOK 58.3
$12.87 NOK 120
-51.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 NOK 16.73
$1.92 NOK 17.82
-6.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$106 NOK 983
$75.5 NOK 701
40.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 NOK 22.90
$2.33 NOK 21.65
5.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.1K NOK 456.2K
$49.9K NOK 463.9K
-1.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.2K NOK 392.2K
$44.1K NOK 409.3K
-4.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$260 NOK 2,412
$289 NOK 2,689
-10.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.92 NOK 315
$34.69 NOK 322
-2.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.9 NOK 742
$61.0 NOK 566
31.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 NOK 483
$60.4 NOK 561
-14.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.64 NOK 350
$31.93 NOK 297
17.88%
Cinema Ticket
$22.16 NOK 206
$18.36 NOK 171
20.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$325 NOK 3,023
$248 NOK 2,305
31.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K NOK 133.2K
$2,651 NOK 24.6K
440.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$130 NOK 1,205
$88.2 NOK 819
47.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.9 NOK 575
$45.61 NOK 424
35.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$151 NOK 1,401
$119 NOK 1,110
26.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$206 NOK 1,911
$146 NOK 1,357
40.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,805 NOK 16.8K
$1,093 NOK 10.2K
65.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 NOK 13.3K
$812 NOK 7,548
75.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,895 NOK 26.9K
$1,185 NOK 11.0K
144.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,145 NOK 19.9K
$1,659 NOK 15.4K
29.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,468 NOK 60.1K
$4,535 NOK 42.1K
42.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,430 NOK 50.4K
$2,505 NOK 23.3K
116.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stavanger
Alesund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,086 NOK 47.3K
$4,266 NOK 39.6K
19.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.24
4.22
24.17%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alesund: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
$1.4K
Alesund
$812 43.1% $616
Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
$530
Alesund
$432 18.6% $99
Eating Out
Stavanger
$452
Alesund
$363 19.8% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
$373
Alesund
$385 3.1% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
$247
Alesund
$180 27.2% $67
Getting Around
Stavanger
$120
Alesund
$133 11% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
$96
Alesund
$97 0.9% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,805 in Stavanger versus $1,093 in Alesund. 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 19% 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 $98 in Stavanger versus $90 in Alesund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $530 vs $432 – making Alesund the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Stavanger
🇳🇴 Alesund
🕒 Local time
02:02 2:02 AM
02:02 2:02 AM
Same time as Stavanger
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,330
58,683
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stavanger Alesund 390 km
From you
  • Stavanger
  • Alesund

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
Stavanger vs Alesund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Stavanger and in Alesund compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,248 in Stavanger, $2,402 in Alesund – Alesund comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Stavanger compared to Alesund?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,872 per month in Stavanger and $3,602 in Alesund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Stavanger and Alesund?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alesund, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,093 there versus $1,805 in Stavanger.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Stavanger and $90 in Alesund. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Stavanger or Alesund?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,248 in Stavanger and $2,402 in Alesund. That makes Alesund about 26% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alesund, where all-in costs run around $2,402, than in Stavanger at $3,248. In Alesund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Stavanger or Alesund?
Families tend to lean toward Alesund – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Stavanger or Alesund safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Stavanger and Alesund?
If budget matters most, go with Alesund. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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