Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Grimstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Grimstad: $2,179 a month against $3,248 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index

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Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,248

/mo nomad

Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Grimstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,248 in Stavanger versus $2,179 in Grimstad.

Stavanger $3,248
Grimstad $2,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,717 in Stavanger versus $3,734 in Grimstad.

Stavanger $4,717
Grimstad $3,734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,186 in Stavanger versus $5,290 in Grimstad.

Stavanger $6,186
Grimstad $5,290

Living in Stavanger is roughly 49% more expensive than in Grimstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 139% above, Grimstad 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.67 NOK 229

$21.29 NOK 198

15.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.0 NOK 910

$79.4 NOK 737

23.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.23 NOK 151

$15.38 NOK 143

5.53%

Cappuccino

$6.22 NOK 57.7

$4.87 NOK 45.25

27.72%

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

$5.89 NOK 54.7

$4.20 NOK 38.99

40.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.07

$3.41 NOK 31.65

32.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.76 NOK 128

$11.76 NOK 109

17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.62 NOK 98.7

$10.54 NOK 97.9

0.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 NOK 23.48

$2.65 NOK 24.59

-4.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 NOK 32.69

$3.74 NOK 34.70

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 NOK 36.94

$3.24 NOK 30.07

22.84%

Eggs

$4.75 NOK 44.17

$3.60 NOK 33.41

31.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 NOK 141

$12.94 NOK 120

17.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.54 NOK 163

$14.43 NOK 134

21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.16 NOK 336

$24.57 NOK 228

47.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 32.81

$2.17 NOK 20.19

62.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.55

$2.47 NOK 22.93

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 33.62

$3.57 NOK 33.20

1.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 NOK 45.80

$4.38 NOK 40.72

12.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.73

$2.73 NOK 25.37

-6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 28.91

$2.92 NOK 27.12

6.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NOK 26.91

$3.25 NOK 30.18

-10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.66

$1.86 NOK 17.25

25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.27 NOK 170

$19.23 NOK 179

-4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 NOK 176

$16.29 NOK 151

16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.80 NOK 35.34

$3.52 NOK 32.71

7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 41.90

$4.28 NOK 39.77

5.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 NOK 44.09

$5.27 NOK 48.95

-9.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 NOK 794

$92.6 NOK 860

-7.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 NOK 58.3

$12.16 NOK 113

-48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.73

$1.84 NOK 17.09

-2.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 983

$72.4 NOK 673

46.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 NOK 22.90

$2.36 NOK 21.89

4.24%

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

$49.1K NOK 456.2K

$50.2K NOK 466.2K

-2.13%

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

$42.2K NOK 392.2K

$45.0K NOK 418.5K

-6.28%

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

$260 NOK 2,412

$314 NOK 2,913

-17.20%

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

$33.92 NOK 315

$34.50 NOK 321

-1.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.9 NOK 742

$55.8 NOK 518

43.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 NOK 483

$43.72 NOK 406

18.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.64 NOK 350

Cinema Ticket

$22.16 NOK 206

$16.41 NOK 152

35.04%

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

$325 NOK 3,023

$242 NOK 2,251

34.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NOK 133.2K

$15.9K NOK 148.1K

-10.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 NOK 1,205

$94.8 NOK 881

36.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.9 NOK 575

$53.1 NOK 494

16.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 NOK 1,401

$106 NOK 985

42.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 NOK 1,911

$163 NOK 1,510

26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 NOK 16.8K

$902 NOK 8,382

100.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 NOK 13.3K

$545 NOK 5,062

162.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,895 NOK 26.9K

$1,988 NOK 18.5K

45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 NOK 19.9K

$1,825 NOK 17.0K

17.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,468 NOK 60.1K

$4,724 NOK 43.9K

36.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,430 NOK 50.4K

$3,502 NOK 32.5K

55.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,086 NOK 47.3K

$4,577 NOK 42.5K

11.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.24

4.9

6.94%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 25, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stavanger

$1.4K 44%

Grimstad

$545 25% 61.9% $884

Groceries & Markets

Stavanger

$530 16.3%

Grimstad

$446 20.5% 16% $85

Eating Out

Stavanger

$452 13.9%

Grimstad

$385 17.7% 14.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stavanger

$373 11.5%

Grimstad

$404 18.5% 8.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Stavanger

$247 7.6%

Grimstad

$187 8.6% 24% $59

Getting Around

Stavanger

$120 3.7%

Grimstad

$135 6.2% 12.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Stavanger

$96 3%

Grimstad

$77 3.5% 20.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Stavanger and $902 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 11% 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: $98 in Stavanger vs $79 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $446 per month, with Grimstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

Same time as Stavanger

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,330

25,093

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Stavanger Grimstad 180 km

From you

Stavanger
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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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,805 in Stavanger versus $902 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,248 per month in Stavanger versus $2,179 in Grimstad – Grimstad is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Stavanger runs roughly 8% less than in Grimstad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,179 in Grimstad versus $3,248 in Stavanger, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Grimstad but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Grimstad 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 Grimstad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Grimstad wins on affordability, Stavanger on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.