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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,695 per month in Stavanger vs $2,155 in Halden, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,140 per month in Stavanger vs $3,640 in Halden, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,584 per month in Stavanger vs $5,126 in Halden, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 25% more than Halden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Halden sit above the global median – Stavanger by 101%, Halden by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 235

$20.21 NOK 188

24.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,113

$100.0 NOK 932

19.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 NOK 143

$12.32 NOK 115

24.35%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.09

$4.53 NOK 42.25

11.48%

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

$4.01 NOK 37.36

$3.50 NOK 32.59

14.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$3.01 NOK 28.03

14.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$9.75 NOK 90.9

14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 NOK 92.7

$8.87 NOK 82.6

12.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.27 NOK 21.16

7.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 NOK 28.90

$3.02 NOK 28.12

2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.97

$2.99 NOK 27.91

54.18%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 40.44

$4.25 NOK 39.64

2.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 NOK 120

$12.16 NOK 113

6.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 NOK 152

$14.71 NOK 137

10.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 258

$31.79 NOK 296

-12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.76

$3.53 NOK 32.87

-3.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.42

$2.50 NOK 23.26

4.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 28.07

$3.30 NOK 30.78

-8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 42.42

$4.47 NOK 41.62

1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.28

$2.43 NOK 22.67

-14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.85

$2.62 NOK 24.46

14.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.00

$2.77 NOK 25.86

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.14

$1.64 NOK 15.29

12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 141

$14.57 NOK 136

3.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$17.06 NOK 159

12.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.07

$2.66 NOK 24.83

33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$3.83 NOK 35.67

4.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.78

$4.32 NOK 40.27

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 NOK 623

$59.9 NOK 558

11.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$10.24 NOK 95.4

46.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NOK 19.44

$1.38 NOK 12.85

51.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 951

$42.09 NOK 392

142.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.66

$2.18 NOK 20.36

-3.21%

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

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

$36.1K NOK 336.5K

-6.26%

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

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

$42.9K NOK 400.0K

-23.06%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$303 NOK 2,829

-37.01%

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

$43.15 NOK 402

$29.81 NOK 278

44.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$40.04 NOK 373

101.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 522

$55.0 NOK 513

1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 328

$35.13 NOK 327

0.09%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$15.79 NOK 147

22.29%

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

$322 NOK 2,998

$272 NOK 2,539

18.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

$14.5K NOK 135.0K

-8.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,087

$94.3 NOK 879

23.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 NOK 547

$65.7 NOK 613

-10.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 994

$126 NOK 1,171

-15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,484

$123 NOK 1,144

29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

$918 NOK 8,557

72.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

$651 NOK 6,063

72.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

$1,954 NOK 18.2K

42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

$1,600 NOK 14.9K

11.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

$6,002 NOK 55.9K

-1.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

$4,592 NOK 42.8K

16.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

$3,565 NOK 33.2K

40.66%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Halden: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,580 in Stavanger versus $918 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, 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 $119 in Stavanger versus $100 in Halden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 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: $2,695 in Stavanger, $2,155 in Halden – roughly 25% apart. Stavanger costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,042 per month in Stavanger and $3,232 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 4% 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 $119 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 $2,155, than in Stavanger at $2,695. 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 $2,155 in Halden to $2,695 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.