Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Stavanger versus $2,252 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,070 in Stavanger versus $3,400 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,451 in Stavanger versus $4,548 in Arendal.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 19% more expensive than Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 100% above, Arendal 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$18.27 NOK 173

38.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,138

$75.5 NOK 716

58.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$15.44 NOK 147

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.77

$5.21 NOK 49.49

-3.45%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.83

$3.21 NOK 30.46

20.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.89

$3.05 NOK 28.99

13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 96.9

$10.23 NOK 97.1

-0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.93

$2.31 NOK 21.94

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.59

$3.00 NOK 28.52

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 NOK 43.48

$3.60 NOK 34.13

27.22%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 42.52

$4.36 NOK 41.38

2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 NOK 122

$12.99 NOK 123

-0.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 NOK 159

$15.36 NOK 146

8.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$27.96 NOK 265

-0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.01

$3.40 NOK 32.30

2.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$2.54 NOK 24.08

3.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.53

$3.10 NOK 29.41

0.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 44.37

$4.55 NOK 43.20

2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.77

$2.07 NOK 19.60

0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.27

$2.98 NOK 28.27

3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.47

$2.61 NOK 24.75

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.38

$1.75 NOK 16.65

4.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 142

$15.43 NOK 146

-2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$18.24 NOK 173

1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.89

$3.35 NOK 31.83

9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.90

$4.00 NOK 38.01

2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.47

$3.89 NOK 36.88

17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 NOK 651

$106 NOK 1,009

-35.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$7.93 NOK 75.3

93.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$2.08 NOK 19.74

-0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 953

$30.96 NOK 294

224.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.01

$2.08 NOK 19.71

1.44%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

1.37%

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

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

-1.73%

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

$190 NOK 1,806

$189 NOK 1,793

0.71%

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

$42.20 NOK 401

$35.99 NOK 342

17.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 NOK 789

$74.0 NOK 703

12.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 531

$44.53 NOK 423

25.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 334

$54.0 NOK 513

-34.89%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 186

$11.93 NOK 113

64.04%

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

$321 NOK 3,048

$306 NOK 2,903

5.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

27.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,098

$96.8 NOK 919

19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 550

$57.9 NOK 550

0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,017

$106 NOK 1,003

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,519

$159 NOK 1,512

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

45.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

$708 NOK 6,722

58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

104.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

52.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

86.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

155.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

25.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.6

25.28%

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

Last update for Stavanger: June 8, 2026

Last update for Arendal: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,099 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 25% 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $75.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $457 per month, with Arendal 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

Stavanger vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger and Arendal differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,689 vs $2,252 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stavanger pays 25% 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: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $1,099 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Stavanger versus $306 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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, Stavanger 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 19% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.