Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Fredrikstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Fredrikstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,179 in Stavanger versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,668 in Stavanger versus $4,355 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,158 in Stavanger versus $5,681 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 5% more expensive than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 131% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.10 NOK 243

$23.41 NOK 218

11.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 932

$119 NOK 1,110

-16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.98 NOK 149

$12.56 NOK 117

27.23%

Cappuccino

$6.53 NOK 60.9

$6.72 NOK 62.6

-2.83%

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

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$5.87 NOK 54.7

-5.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NOK 42.35

$4.60 NOK 42.82

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.62 NOK 127

$12.33 NOK 115

10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.09 NOK 113

$9.41 NOK 87.7

28.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.19

$2.42 NOK 22.54

2.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.58

$4.34 NOK 40.42

-17.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 36.86

$3.56 NOK 33.13

11.24%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.34

$6.10 NOK 56.9

-18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 NOK 136

$13.26 NOK 124

10.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.53 NOK 163

$18.44 NOK 172

-4.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.75 NOK 333

$35.83 NOK 334

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.49

$4.68 NOK 43.62

-20.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.62

$3.55 NOK 33.03

-19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.32

$4.46 NOK 41.58

-19.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 45.61

$5.21 NOK 48.57

-5.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.27

$2.95 NOK 27.45

-11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.53

$2.83 NOK 26.35

12.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$2.96 NOK 27.61

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.54

$2.40 NOK 22.37

-3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$16.07 NOK 150

9.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 NOK 179

$22.17 NOK 207

-13.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.86

$3.58 NOK 33.35

7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 NOK 42.91

$4.28 NOK 39.88

7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.89 NOK 45.59

$4.16 NOK 38.72

17.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 812

$66.8 NOK 622

30.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 NOK 60.4

$12.99 NOK 121

-50.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.62

$1.69 NOK 15.76

5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 980

$72.7 NOK 677

44.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.66

$2.39 NOK 22.29

-2.93%

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

$48.7K NOK 454.0K

$42.7K NOK 397.8K

14.11%

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

$41.8K NOK 389.7K

$50.0K NOK 466.3K

-16.42%

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

$257 NOK 2,397

$338 NOK 3,153

-23.97%

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

$35.59 NOK 332

$46.68 NOK 435

-23.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 791

$66.5 NOK 619

27.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 NOK 490

$59.1 NOK 550

-10.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.90 NOK 344

$41.58 NOK 387

-11.26%

Cinema Ticket

$22.33 NOK 208

$20.69 NOK 193

7.93%

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

$325 NOK 3,029

$174 NOK 1,621

86.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 134.0K

$11.1K NOK 103.3K

29.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,173

$162 NOK 1,508

-22.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 566

$79.4 NOK 740

-23.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 NOK 1,445

$144 NOK 1,343

7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 NOK 1,893

$114 NOK 1,061

78.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 NOK 16.3K

$1,391 NOK 13.0K

25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 12.9K

$1,125 NOK 10.5K

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 NOK 26.5K

$1,851 NOK 17.2K

53.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 NOK 19.0K

$1,510 NOK 14.1K

35.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,241 NOK 58.1K

$6,312 NOK 58.8K

-1.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 NOK 51.5K

$4,204 NOK 39.2K

31.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,111 NOK 47.6K

$3,454 NOK 32.2K

47.96%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,746 in Stavanger and $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 48% 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: $100 in Stavanger vs $119 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $560 per month, with Stavanger 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 Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fredrikstad is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,746 in Stavanger versus $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Stavanger versus $174 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 6% 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.