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: $2,689 in Stavanger versus $2,374 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,070 in Stavanger versus $3,743 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,451 in Stavanger versus $5,112 in Hamar.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 100% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$25.11 NOK 238

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,138

$123 NOK 1,165

-2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$15.06 NOK 143

1.66%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.77

$5.01 NOK 47.54

0.40%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.83

$4.22 NOK 40.03

-8.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.89

$3.25 NOK 30.86

6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$12.22 NOK 116

-10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 96.9

$8.22 NOK 78.1

24.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.93

$2.10 NOK 19.95

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.59

$2.99 NOK 28.38

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 NOK 43.48

$2.04 NOK 19.36

124.51%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 42.52

$4.95 NOK 46.99

-9.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 NOK 122

$10.38 NOK 98.5

24.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 NOK 159

$11.90 NOK 113

40.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$30.60 NOK 290

-9.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.01

$3.58 NOK 33.97

-2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$2.53 NOK 23.97

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.53

$2.90 NOK 27.50

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 44.37

$5.08 NOK 48.27

-7.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.77

$2.37 NOK 22.46

-12.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.27

$2.36 NOK 22.38

30.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.47

$2.03 NOK 19.31

21.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.38

$1.95 NOK 18.54

-6.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 142

$17.52 NOK 166

-14.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$18.70 NOK 177

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.89

$3.48 NOK 33.02

5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.90

$4.18 NOK 39.66

-1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.47

$4.56 NOK 43.25

0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 NOK 651

$64.1 NOK 609

6.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$9.94 NOK 94.3

54.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$1.39 NOK 13.16

48.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 953

$42.55 NOK 404

135.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.01

$2.12 NOK 20.16

-0.47%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

-5.42%

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

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

-24.19%

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

$190 NOK 1,806

$217 NOK 2,063

-12.48%

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

$42.20 NOK 401

$30.76 NOK 292

37.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 NOK 789

$56.4 NOK 536

47.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 531

$56.5 NOK 536

-0.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 334

$27.99 NOK 266

25.62%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 186

$18.07 NOK 172

8.30%

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

$321 NOK 3,048

$206 NOK 1,960

55.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

-12.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,098

$104 NOK 985

11.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 550

$60.2 NOK 572

-3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,017

$125 NOK 1,185

-14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,519

$99.8 NOK 947

60.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

36.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

$820 NOK 7,783

37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

78.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

24.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

0.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

18.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

19.90%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Hamar: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,171 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 20% 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $123 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $473 vs $438, with Hamar cheaper for home cooking.

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 ($2,689 vs $2,374 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stavanger pays 20% more on average, 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 $1,171 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $123 versus $120 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,374 in Hamar versus $2,689 in Stavanger, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar 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 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.