Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Fredrikstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Fredrikstad: $2,983 a month against $3,138 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Fredrikstad
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Fredrikstad Living Index

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Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,138

/mo nomad

Fredrikstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Fredrikstad

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 Fredrikstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,138 in Stavanger versus $2,983 in Fredrikstad.

Stavanger $3,138
Fredrikstad $2,983

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,570 in Stavanger versus $4,345 in Fredrikstad.

Stavanger $4,570
Fredrikstad $4,345

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,002 in Stavanger versus $5,707 in Fredrikstad.

Stavanger $6,002
Fredrikstad $5,707

Living in Stavanger is roughly 5% more expensive than in Fredrikstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 132% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 NOK 233

$26.28 NOK 247

-5.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 NOK 901

$124 NOK 1,170

-22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.96 NOK 150

$12.65 NOK 119

26.17%

Cappuccino

$6.23 NOK 58.6

$6.77 NOK 63.7

-7.98%

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

$5.20 NOK 48.94

$5.55 NOK 52.3

-6.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NOK 40.09

$4.39 NOK 41.36

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.68 NOK 129

$11.55 NOK 109

18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.94 NOK 112

$9.57 NOK 90.1

24.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 22.95

$2.34 NOK 22.00

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 NOK 33.10

$4.31 NOK 40.56

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 36.29

$3.43 NOK 32.31

12.24%

Eggs

$4.72 NOK 44.40

$5.82 NOK 54.8

-18.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.37 NOK 135

$13.06 NOK 123

10.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 NOK 157

$17.96 NOK 169

-7.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.66 NOK 336

$34.38 NOK 324

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.59

$3.37 NOK 31.71

2.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.19

$3.64 NOK 34.24

-23.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.79

$4.30 NOK 40.49

-21.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NOK 46.33

$5.00 NOK 47.06

-1.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.42

$2.63 NOK 24.74

-5.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.05

$2.71 NOK 25.53

9.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 NOK 26.63

$2.82 NOK 26.50

0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.09

$2.33 NOK 21.95

0.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.60 NOK 166

$15.51 NOK 146

13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.73 NOK 176

$22.16 NOK 209

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 NOK 35.21

$3.49 NOK 32.81

7.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 NOK 41.58

$4.39 NOK 41.34

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.64 NOK 43.68

$4.11 NOK 38.71

12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 NOK 792

$64.5 NOK 607

30.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 NOK 57.1

$12.56 NOK 118

-51.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NOK 16.01

$2.00 NOK 18.79

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 961

$70.1 NOK 660

45.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 22.85

$2.30 NOK 21.64

5.65%

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

$48.3K NOK 455.1K

$49.8K NOK 468.4K

-2.84%

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

$42.0K NOK 395.1K

$46.9K NOK 441.1K

-10.43%

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

$249 NOK 2,346

$331 NOK 3,118

-24.76%

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

$34.59 NOK 326

$45.60 NOK 429

-24.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 762

$66.9 NOK 630

20.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 473

$58.3 NOK 549

-13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 NOK 347

$40.86 NOK 385

-9.91%

Cinema Ticket

$21.38 NOK 201

$20.19 NOK 190

5.89%

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

$320 NOK 3,014

$168 NOK 1,579

90.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

$12.5K NOK 117.8K

13.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,183

$155 NOK 1,459

-18.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 553

$78.7 NOK 741

-25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 NOK 1,406

$144 NOK 1,358

3.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 NOK 1,865

$112 NOK 1,051

77.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 NOK 16.0K

$1,329 NOK 12.5K

27.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 NOK 12.8K

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

19.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,735 NOK 25.7K

$1,822 NOK 17.1K

50.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 NOK 19.2K

$1,516 NOK 14.3K

34.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,207 NOK 58.4K

$6,022 NOK 56.7K

3.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,292 NOK 49.8K

$4,131 NOK 38.9K

28.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,011 NOK 47.2K

$3,372 NOK 31.7K

48.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.95

6.46%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.2%

Fredrikstad

$1.1K 37.9% 16.6% $225

Groceries & Markets

Stavanger

$517 16.5%

Fredrikstad

$540 18.1% 4.3% $22

Eating Out

Stavanger

$450 14.4%

Fredrikstad

$446 15% 1% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stavanger

$365 11.6%

Fredrikstad

$444 14.9% 21.7% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Stavanger

$239 7.6%

Fredrikstad

$220 7.4% 8% $19

Getting Around

Stavanger

$117 3.7%

Fredrikstad

$103 3.5% 11.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Stavanger

$93 3%

Fredrikstad

$99 3.3% 6.2% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Stavanger and $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 49% 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: $96.0 in Stavanger vs $124 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $540 per month, with Stavanger cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🇳🇴 Fredrikstad

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Stavanger

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,330

85,267

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Stavanger Fredrikstad 290 km

From you

Stavanger
Fredrikstad

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 Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fredrikstad is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Stavanger, 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: $1,697 in Stavanger versus $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Stavanger versus $168 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Fredrikstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Fredrikstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Fredrikstad 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 Fredrikstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.