Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Alesund Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Alesund

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,744 per month in Stavanger vs $2,242 in Alesund, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,187 per month in Stavanger vs $3,326 in Alesund, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,629 per month in Stavanger vs $4,409 in Alesund, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 22% more than Alesund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Alesund sit above the global median – Stavanger by 105%, Alesund by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$19.85 NOK 184

28.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,122

$85.4 NOK 794

41.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 142

$12.95 NOK 120

18.22%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.03

$3.95 NOK 36.66

30.89%

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

$4.04 NOK 37.57

$2.02 NOK 18.79

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.20

$2.19 NOK 20.32

58.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 104

$10.94 NOK 102

1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 95.4

$9.25 NOK 85.9

11.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.73

$2.39 NOK 22.22

2.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.03

$2.95 NOK 27.39

2.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 42.38

$2.89 NOK 26.82

57.79%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 41.46

$3.99 NOK 37.02

11.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 122

$14.13 NOK 131

-7.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 155

$13.66 NOK 127

22.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 252

$22.52 NOK 209

20.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.26

$2.74 NOK 25.45

30.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.80

$2.33 NOK 21.63

9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 27.72

$2.16 NOK 20.09

37.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.83

$3.68 NOK 34.19

25.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.42

$2.69 NOK 24.96

-22.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.70

$1.73 NOK 16.05

78.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$2.80 NOK 26.05

-10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 16.81

$2.14 NOK 19.89

-15.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 143

$13.59 NOK 126

13.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 178

$18.84 NOK 175

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.70

$3.28 NOK 30.49

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 38.39

$4.24 NOK 39.40

-2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 43.31

$4.53 NOK 42.09

2.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 623

$65.5 NOK 609

2.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 139

$12.10 NOK 112

23.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 19.70

$2.07 NOK 19.26

2.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 927

$73.6 NOK 684

35.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 19.96

$2.19 NOK 20.35

-1.83%

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

$34.0K NOK 315.8K

$36.0K NOK 334.2K

-5.51%

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

$32.8K NOK 304.4K

$43.3K NOK 402.3K

-24.32%

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

$191 NOK 1,778

$242 NOK 2,251

-20.99%

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

$42.73 NOK 397

$39.19 NOK 364

9.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 761

$40.94 NOK 380

100.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 519

$58.0 NOK 539

-3.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 331

$29.85 NOK 277

19.40%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 181

$17.00 NOK 158

14.76%

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

$318 NOK 2,957

$266 NOK 2,468

19.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 118.6K

$2,461 NOK 22.9K

418.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,107

$84.1 NOK 781

41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 542

$43.85 NOK 407

33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 981

$110 NOK 1,022

-4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,460

$136 NOK 1,264

15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 14.9K

$968 NOK 8,988

65.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.4K

$782 NOK 7,262

42.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 25.6K

$1,384 NOK 12.9K

99.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.1K

$1,166 NOK 10.8K

49.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 57.5K

$4,672 NOK 43.4K

32.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 50.5K

$2,516 NOK 23.4K

116.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 46.4K

$4,349 NOK 40.4K

14.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.03

11.91%

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

Last update for Stavanger: May 30, 2026

Last update for Alesund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Stavanger versus $968 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 15% 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 $121 in Stavanger versus $85.0 in Alesund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $425 – making Alesund the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,744 in Stavanger, $2,242 in Alesund – roughly 22% apart. Stavanger costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,117 per month in Stavanger and $3,363 in Alesund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alesund, 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 $121 in Stavanger and $85.0 in Alesund. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,744 in Stavanger and $2,242 in Alesund. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alesund, where all-in costs run around $2,242, than in Stavanger at $2,744. In Alesund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Stavanger has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,242 in Alesund to $2,744 in Stavanger. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Alesund. 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.