Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Halden

For one person, living is cheaper in Halden: $2,619 a month against $3,248 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stavanger, Norway
Halden, Norway
Stavanger
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,248
/mo nomad
Halden
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Halden

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

A single person spends $3,248 per month in Stavanger vs $2,619 in Halden, rent included.

  • Stavanger $3,248
  • Halden $2,619

A couple spends around $4,717 per month in Stavanger vs $4,046 in Halden, rent included.

  • Stavanger $4,717
  • Halden $4,046

A family of three spends $6,186 per month in Stavanger vs $5,474 in Halden, rent included.

  • Stavanger $6,186
  • Halden $5,474

Stavanger costs about 24% more than Halden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stavanger and Halden sit above the global median – Stavanger by 139%, Halden by 92%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.67 NOK 227
$21.23 NOK 195
16.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.0 NOK 900
$107 NOK 987
-8.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.23 NOK 149
$13.13 NOK 121
23.61%
Cappuccino
$6.22 NOK 57.1
$4.92 NOK 45.20
26.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.89 NOK 54.1
$3.80 NOK 34.92
55.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 NOK 41.60
$3.15 NOK 28.95
43.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.76 NOK 126
$10.45 NOK 96.0
31.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.62 NOK 97.6
$9.69 NOK 89.0
9.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 NOK 23.22
$2.41 NOK 22.10
4.98%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 NOK 32.32
$4.16 NOK 38.20
-15.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.98 NOK 36.53
$4.26 NOK 39.18
-6.57%
Eggs
$4.75 NOK 43.68
$4.83 NOK 44.38
-1.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.22 NOK 140
$15.04 NOK 138
1.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.54 NOK 161
$15.64 NOK 144
12.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$36.16 NOK 332
$31.68 NOK 291
14.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.53 NOK 32.44
$3.39 NOK 31.12
4.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.86 NOK 26.25
$2.67 NOK 24.55
7.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.62 NOK 33.25
$3.46 NOK 31.82
4.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.93 NOK 45.29
$4.01 NOK 36.82
22.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 NOK 23.46
$2.60 NOK 23.90
-1.92%
Onion (1kg)
$3.11 NOK 28.58
$2.99 NOK 27.44
4.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.90 NOK 26.61
$3.18 NOK 29.18
-8.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 NOK 21.41
$2.18 NOK 20.07
6.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.27 NOK 168
$15.26 NOK 140
19.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.94 NOK 174
$16.77 NOK 154
12.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.80 NOK 34.94
$2.76 NOK 25.36
37.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51 NOK 41.44
$4.01 NOK 36.87
12.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.75 NOK 43.60
$4.90 NOK 45.01
-3.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.4 NOK 785
$44.29 NOK 407
92.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.27 NOK 57.6
$12.32 NOK 113
-49.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 NOK 16.54
$1.84 NOK 16.88
-2.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$106 NOK 972
$71.4 NOK 656
48.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 NOK 22.64
$2.27 NOK 20.85
8.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.1K NOK 451.1K
$49.9K NOK 458.3K
-1.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.2K NOK 387.8K
$45.9K NOK 421.7K
-8.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$260 NOK 2,385
$427 NOK 3,921
-39.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.92 NOK 312
$32.04 NOK 294
5.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.9 NOK 734
$54.4 NOK 499
47.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 NOK 477
$57.9 NOK 532
-10.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.64 NOK 346
$32.18 NOK 296
16.97%
Cinema Ticket
$22.16 NOK 204
$16.84 NOK 155
31.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$325 NOK 2,990
$241 NOK 2,218
34.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K NOK 131.7K
$15.6K NOK 143.6K
-8.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$130 NOK 1,191
$103 NOK 947
25.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.9 NOK 569
$61.0 NOK 560
1.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$151 NOK 1,386
$135 NOK 1,239
11.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$206 NOK 1,890
$127 NOK 1,166
62.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,805 NOK 16.6K
$964 NOK 8,856
87.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 NOK 13.1K
$874 NOK 8,026
63.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,895 NOK 26.6K
$2,006 NOK 18.4K
44.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,145 NOK 19.7K
$1,692 NOK 15.5K
26.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,468 NOK 59.4K
$2,177 NOK 20.0K
197.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,430 NOK 49.9K
$1,907 NOK 17.5K
184.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stavanger
Halden
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,086 NOK 46.7K
$3,598 NOK 33.1K
41.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.24
4.75
10.32%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 25, 2026

Last update for Halden: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
$1.4K
Halden
$874 38.9% $555
Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
$530
Halden
$495 6.6% $35
Eating Out
Stavanger
$452
Halden
$368 18.7% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
$373
Halden
$513 37.4% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
$247
Halden
$192 22.3% $55
Getting Around
Stavanger
$120
Halden
$85 28.6% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
$96
Halden
$92 4.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,805 in Stavanger versus $964 in Halden. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Stavanger. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Stavanger versus $107 in Halden. Groceries tell a different story – $530 in Stavanger vs $495 in Halden – so Halden wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Stavanger
🇳🇴 Halden
🕒 Local time
04:20 4:20 AM
04:20 4:20 AM
Same time as Stavanger
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,330
31,965
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stavanger Halden 330 km
From you
  • Stavanger
  • Halden

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 Halden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Stavanger and in Halden compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,248 in Stavanger, $2,619 in Halden – Halden comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Stavanger compared to Halden?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,872 per month in Stavanger and $3,928 in Halden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Stavanger and Halden?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Halden, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $964 there versus $1,805 in Stavanger.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Stavanger, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Stavanger and $107 in Halden. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Halden, where all-in costs run around $2,619, than in Stavanger at $3,248. In Halden it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Stavanger or Halden?
Families tend to lean toward Halden – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Stavanger or Halden safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Stavanger and Halden?
If budget matters most, go with Halden. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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