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: $2,744 in Stavanger versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in Stavanger versus $4,055 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,629 in Stavanger versus $5,418 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 2% more expensive than Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Fredrikstad 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$18.53 NOK 173

37.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,125

$110 NOK 1,020

10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 143

$11.98 NOK 112

27.80%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.13

$5.16 NOK 48.01

0.19%

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

$4.04 NOK 37.65

$3.90 NOK 36.32

3.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.27

$2.80 NOK 26.03

23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 104

$11.30 NOK 105

-1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 95.6

$10.19 NOK 94.9

0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.78

$2.17 NOK 20.22

12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.09

$4.45 NOK 41.44

-32.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 42.47

$3.23 NOK 30.06

41.18%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 41.54

$5.46 NOK 50.9

-18.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 122

$11.89 NOK 111

10.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 156

$15.75 NOK 147

6.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 253

$33.73 NOK 314

-19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.33

$4.74 NOK 44.15

-24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.85

$3.45 NOK 32.16

-25.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 27.78

$4.50 NOK 41.92

-33.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.92

$5.06 NOK 47.10

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.46

$2.89 NOK 26.87

-27.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.76

$2.75 NOK 25.64

12.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.31

$2.73 NOK 25.46

-8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 16.85

$1.82 NOK 16.98

-0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 143

$15.09 NOK 141

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 178

$22.89 NOK 213

-16.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.77

$3.32 NOK 30.87

9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 38.47

$6.01 NOK 55.9

-31.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 43.40

$3.90 NOK 36.29

19.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 624

$62.3 NOK 580

7.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 139

$6.15 NOK 57.2

143.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$1.46 NOK 13.59

45.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 929

$53.8 NOK 501

85.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.00

$2.32 NOK 21.63

-7.33%

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

$34.0K NOK 316.4K

$35.3K NOK 328.7K

-3.74%

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

$32.8K NOK 305.1K

$37.8K NOK 352.3K

-13.40%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$336 NOK 3,125

-42.98%

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

$42.73 NOK 398

$38.13 NOK 355

12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 763

$56.0 NOK 521

46.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 520

$48.08 NOK 448

16.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 332

$39.46 NOK 367

-9.68%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 182

$21.86 NOK 203

-10.75%

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

$318 NOK 2,963

$283 NOK 2,634

12.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 118.9K

$10.1K NOK 94.1K

26.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,109

$149 NOK 1,386

-19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 543

$61.3 NOK 571

-4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 983

$166 NOK 1,542

-36.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,463

$134 NOK 1,244

17.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 14.9K

$1,288 NOK 12.0K

24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.4K

$953 NOK 8,869

17.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 25.7K

$2,048 NOK 19.1K

34.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

$1,537 NOK 14.3K

13.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 57.6K

$6,150 NOK 57.3K

0.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 50.6K

$4,533 NOK 42.2K

19.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 46.5K

$3,416 NOK 31.8K

46.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.25

6.12%

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

Last update for Stavanger: May 30, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Stavanger and $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 46% 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: $121 in Stavanger vs $110 in Fredrikstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $472 vs $526, with Stavanger cheaper for home cooking.

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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 46% 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: $1,604 in Stavanger versus $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $318 in Stavanger versus $283 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 11% 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 2% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.