Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Halden Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Halden

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,699 per month in Stavanger vs $2,190 in Halden, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,150 per month in Stavanger vs $3,589 in Halden, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,601 per month in Stavanger vs $4,988 in Halden, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 23% more than Halden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Halden sit above the global median – Stavanger by 103%, Halden by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$20.20 NOK 192

24.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,167

$99.9 NOK 947

23.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 143

$11.94 NOK 113

26.30%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 47.61

$4.57 NOK 43.34

9.85%

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

$3.89 NOK 36.85

$3.58 NOK 33.91

8.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.26

$2.96 NOK 28.04

14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 104

$10.08 NOK 95.6

9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 97.3

$9.30 NOK 88.2

10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.72

$2.29 NOK 21.73

4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.46

$3.13 NOK 29.64

-0.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 44.03

$3.00 NOK 28.46

54.67%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 42.88

$4.24 NOK 40.16

6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 123

$12.54 NOK 119

3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 NOK 154

$14.86 NOK 141

9.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 262

$31.30 NOK 297

-11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.45

$3.54 NOK 33.55

-0.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.92

$2.51 NOK 23.78

0.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.94

$3.30 NOK 31.28

-7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.17

$4.40 NOK 41.72

5.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.44

$2.54 NOK 24.13

-19.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.86

$2.58 NOK 24.51

17.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.47

$2.73 NOK 25.93

-5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.56

$1.61 NOK 15.24

8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 143

$14.90 NOK 141

1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$16.34 NOK 155

9.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.60

$2.65 NOK 25.14

33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.69

$3.87 NOK 36.71

5.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.44

$4.36 NOK 41.35

5.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NOK 656

$59.5 NOK 565

16.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 NOK 146

$10.08 NOK 95.6

52.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.62

$1.43 NOK 13.60

44.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 972

$41.87 NOK 397

144.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.92

$2.15 NOK 20.41

2.79%

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

$34.7K NOK 329.2K

$35.7K NOK 338.4K

-2.72%

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

$32.7K NOK 310.2K

$43.0K NOK 408.0K

-23.96%

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

$192 NOK 1,821

$306 NOK 2,903

-37.27%

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

$42.41 NOK 402

$30.76 NOK 292

37.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 767

$40.18 NOK 381

101.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 529

$53.0 NOK 503

5.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 NOK 333

$35.49 NOK 337

-0.90%

Cinema Ticket

$19.02 NOK 180

$15.82 NOK 150

20.23%

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

$314 NOK 2,975

$272 NOK 2,577

15.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.1K

$14.9K NOK 141.5K

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,096

$96.4 NOK 914

19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 553

$67.0 NOK 635

-12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,018

$122 NOK 1,153

-11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,493

$121 NOK 1,147

30.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$923 NOK 8,748

72.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 NOK 10.8K

$662 NOK 6,276

71.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 NOK 26.5K

$1,915 NOK 18.2K

46.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 NOK 16.9K

$1,594 NOK 15.1K

11.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.9K

$5,937 NOK 56.3K

1.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,223 NOK 49.5K

$3,943 NOK 37.4K

32.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,909 NOK 46.6K

$3,386 NOK 32.1K

44.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.75

-5.05%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 26, 2026

Last update for Halden: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,595 in Stavanger versus $923 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 45% higher in Stavanger, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Stavanger versus $100 in Halden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $468 vs $454 – making Halden the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,699 in Stavanger, $2,190 in Halden – roughly 23% apart. Stavanger costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,048 per month in Stavanger and $3,285 in Halden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Halden, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Stavanger, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Stavanger and $100 in Halden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Halden, where all-in costs run around $2,190, than in Stavanger at $2,699. In Halden it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Stavanger has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,190 in Halden to $2,699 in Stavanger. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Halden. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.