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: $2,695 in Stavanger versus $2,198 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Stavanger versus $3,317 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,584 in Stavanger versus $4,436 in Arendal.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 23% more expensive than Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 101% above, Arendal 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 235

$18.13 NOK 169

39.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,113

$77.1 NOK 719

54.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 NOK 143

$15.21 NOK 142

0.72%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.09

$5.13 NOK 47.77

-1.56%

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

$4.01 NOK 37.36

$3.21 NOK 29.92

24.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$3.02 NOK 28.12

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$11.12 NOK 104

0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 NOK 92.7

$9.96 NOK 92.9

-0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.38 NOK 22.18

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 NOK 28.90

$3.05 NOK 28.46

1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.97

$3.58 NOK 33.38

28.77%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 40.44

$4.47 NOK 41.70

-2.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 NOK 120

$13.01 NOK 121

-0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 NOK 152

$15.35 NOK 143

5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 258

$27.55 NOK 257

0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.76

$3.56 NOK 33.17

-4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.42

$2.53 NOK 23.62

3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 28.07

$2.96 NOK 27.56

1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 42.42

$4.62 NOK 43.05

-1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.28

$2.13 NOK 19.89

-2.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.85

$2.95 NOK 27.45

1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.00

$2.50 NOK 23.31

-1.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.14

$1.83 NOK 17.10

0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 141

$15.15 NOK 141

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$17.88 NOK 167

7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.07

$3.38 NOK 31.47

5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$3.95 NOK 36.84

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.78

$3.88 NOK 36.17

15.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 NOK 623

$103 NOK 958

-34.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$7.95 NOK 74.1

88.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NOK 19.44

$2.08 NOK 19.36

0.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 951

$30.62 NOK 285

233.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.66

$2.05 NOK 19.12

2.93%

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

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

$34.0K NOK 316.9K

-0.46%

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

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

$32.6K NOK 303.5K

1.40%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$190 NOK 1,770

0.63%

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

$43.15 NOK 402

$35.04 NOK 327

23.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$72.4 NOK 674

11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 522

$43.18 NOK 402

29.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 328

$52.4 NOK 488

-32.86%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$11.94 NOK 111

61.73%

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

$322 NOK 2,998

$302 NOK 2,813

6.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

28.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,087

$97.5 NOK 909

19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 NOK 547

$58.5 NOK 545

0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 994

$104 NOK 971

2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,484

$157 NOK 1,462

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

$1,080 NOK 10.1K

46.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

$710 NOK 6,615

58.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

$1,327 NOK 12.4K

109.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

$1,127 NOK 10.5K

58.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

$3,225 NOK 30.1K

84.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

$2,152 NOK 20.1K

149.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

$4,277 NOK 39.9K

17.24%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Arendal: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,580 in Stavanger and $1,080 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 17% 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: $119 in Stavanger vs $77.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $458 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 23% in total monthly costs ($2,695 vs $2,198 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stavanger pays 17% 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: $1,580 in Stavanger versus $1,080 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Stavanger versus $302 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,198 in Arendal versus $2,695 in Stavanger, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 23% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.