Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Grimstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Grimstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,695 in Stavanger versus $2,390 in Grimstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Stavanger versus $3,520 in Grimstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,584 in Stavanger versus $4,651 in Grimstad.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 13% more expensive than Grimstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 101% above, Grimstad 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 235

$22.99 NOK 214

9.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,113

$51.1 NOK 477

133.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 NOK 143

$14.93 NOK 139

2.61%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.09

$4.54 NOK 42.29

11.23%

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

$4.01 NOK 37.36

$3.99 NOK 37.19

0.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$3.31 NOK 30.85

4.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$12.23 NOK 114

-8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 NOK 92.7

$10.31 NOK 96.1

-3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.29 NOK 21.37

6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 NOK 28.90

$3.11 NOK 29.00

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.97

$3.00 NOK 28.00

53.67%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 40.44

$3.26 NOK 30.37

33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 NOK 120

$10.73 NOK 100

20.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 NOK 152

$13.41 NOK 125

21.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 258

$16.37 NOK 153

69.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.76

$2.08 NOK 19.37

63.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.42

$2.22 NOK 20.68

18.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 28.07

$3.36 NOK 31.30

-10.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 42.42

$4.02 NOK 37.46

13.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.28

$2.51 NOK 23.44

-17.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.85

$2.60 NOK 24.27

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.00

$2.87 NOK 26.77

-13.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.14

$1.76 NOK 16.37

4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 141

$17.29 NOK 161

-12.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$16.07 NOK 150

19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.07

$3.53 NOK 32.91

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$4.30 NOK 40.11

-6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.78

$4.95 NOK 46.17

-9.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 NOK 623

$77.4 NOK 722

-13.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$10.04 NOK 93.6

49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NOK 19.44

$1.38 NOK 12.90

51.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 951

$41.93 NOK 391

143.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.66

$2.20 NOK 20.48

-4.09%

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

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

$36.6K NOK 341.3K

-7.57%

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

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

$42.2K NOK 392.9K

-21.66%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$301 NOK 2,809

-36.58%

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

$43.15 NOK 402

$27.46 NOK 256

57.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$56.3 NOK 524

43.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 522

$48.47 NOK 452

15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 328

$35.24 NOK 328

-0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$15.20 NOK 142

27.04%

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

$322 NOK 2,998

$273 NOK 2,545

17.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

$15.0K NOK 139.3K

-11.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,087

$50.7 NOK 473

130.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 NOK 547

$60.4 NOK 563

-2.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 994

$101 NOK 937

6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,484

$167 NOK 1,557

-4.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

$1,215 NOK 11.3K

30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

$905 NOK 8,437

24.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

$1,789 NOK 16.7K

55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

$1,551 NOK 14.5K

14.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

$4,492 NOK 41.9K

11.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.9

-7.96%

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

Last update for Stavanger: April 25, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,580 in Stavanger and $1,215 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 12% 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 $51.0 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $388 per month, with Grimstad 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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 12% 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 $1,215 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,695 per month in Stavanger versus $2,390 in Grimstad – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Grimstad runs roughly 16% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Grimstad 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 Grimstad 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 Grimstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.