Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Hamar Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Hamar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in Stavanger versus $2,379 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Stavanger versus $3,737 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,601 in Stavanger versus $5,095 in Hamar.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 13% more expensive than in Hamar, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 103% above, Hamar 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$25.39 NOK 241

-0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,167

$122 NOK 1,157

0.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 143

$15.27 NOK 145

-1.24%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 47.61

$5.07 NOK 48.03

-0.99%

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

$3.89 NOK 36.85

$4.21 NOK 39.92

-7.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.26

$3.18 NOK 30.12

6.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 104

$11.96 NOK 113

-8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 97.3

$8.19 NOK 77.6

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.72

$2.10 NOK 19.93

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.46

$2.84 NOK 26.97

9.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 44.03

$2.05 NOK 19.40

126.34%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 42.88

$5.20 NOK 49.27

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 123

$10.42 NOK 98.8

24.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 NOK 154

$12.20 NOK 116

33.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 262

$31.13 NOK 295

-11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.45

$3.44 NOK 32.66

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.92

$2.50 NOK 23.69

0.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.94

$2.89 NOK 27.37

5.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.17

$5.08 NOK 48.21

-8.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.44

$2.38 NOK 22.55

-13.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.86

$2.39 NOK 22.69

27.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.47

$2.00 NOK 18.96

29.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.56

$1.89 NOK 17.92

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 143

$17.40 NOK 165

-13.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$18.04 NOK 171

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.60

$3.52 NOK 33.37

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.69

$4.25 NOK 40.34

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.44

$4.48 NOK 42.53

2.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NOK 656

$64.5 NOK 612

7.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 NOK 146

$9.97 NOK 94.6

54.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.62

$1.38 NOK 13.12

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 972

$42.66 NOK 404

140.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.92

$2.11 NOK 19.97

4.74%

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

$34.7K NOK 329.2K

$35.9K NOK 340.4K

-3.28%

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

$32.7K NOK 310.2K

$43.2K NOK 409.8K

-24.30%

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

$192 NOK 1,821

$218 NOK 2,072

-12.09%

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

$42.41 NOK 402

$31.47 NOK 298

34.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 767

$56.2 NOK 533

43.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 529

$55.7 NOK 528

0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 NOK 333

$27.97 NOK 265

25.74%

Cinema Ticket

$19.02 NOK 180

$18.02 NOK 171

5.55%

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

$314 NOK 2,975

$203 NOK 1,921

54.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.1K

$14.6K NOK 138.6K

-11.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,096

$106 NOK 1,002

9.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 553

$60.4 NOK 573

-3.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,018

$121 NOK 1,148

-11.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,493

$103 NOK 976

52.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,160 NOK 11.0K

37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 NOK 10.8K

$824 NOK 7,811

37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 NOK 26.5K

$1,496 NOK 14.2K

87.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 NOK 16.9K

$1,445 NOK 13.7K

23.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.9K

$4,211 NOK 39.9K

42.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,223 NOK 49.5K

$3,448 NOK 32.7K

51.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,909 NOK 46.6K

$4,111 NOK 39.0K

19.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.08

-11.22%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 26, 2026

Last update for Hamar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,160 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 19% 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: $123 in Stavanger vs $122 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $438 per month, with Hamar 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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger and Hamar differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,699 vs $2,379 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $1,160 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamar – a meal for two runs $122 versus $123 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hamar is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hamar 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 Hamar 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.