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: $3,202 in Stavanger versus $2,417 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,642 in Stavanger versus $3,870 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,082 in Stavanger versus $5,324 in Hamar.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 32% more expensive than in Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 134% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 NOK 243

$21.27 NOK 200

21.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 NOK 917

$130 NOK 1,221

-24.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.15 NOK 152

$16.05 NOK 151

0.62%

Cappuccino

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$6.13 NOK 57.7

3.92%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$4.14 NOK 39.05

28.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.75

$3.35 NOK 31.56

32.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.88 NOK 131

$12.03 NOK 113

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.16 NOK 115

$8.43 NOK 79.4

44.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.55

$2.51 NOK 23.66

-0.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.96

$3.03 NOK 28.54

18.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.33

$2.13 NOK 20.04

85.92%

Eggs

$5.05 NOK 47.55

$5.90 NOK 55.6

-14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 NOK 142

$11.32 NOK 107

33.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 NOK 162

$12.64 NOK 119

36.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.93 NOK 339

$29.76 NOK 280

20.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 NOK 34.97

$3.40 NOK 32.05

9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.20

$2.66 NOK 25.06

4.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.84

$3.18 NOK 29.97

9.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NOK 47.53

$5.98 NOK 56.3

-15.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.69

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.43

$2.54 NOK 23.94

22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.45

$2.13 NOK 20.03

36.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 NOK 22.84

$2.02 NOK 19.06

19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 169

$19.26 NOK 181

-7.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 NOK 177

$16.86 NOK 159

11.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.16

$3.61 NOK 34.01

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 42.46

$4.37 NOK 41.22

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 NOK 45.41

$4.68 NOK 44.10

2.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 NOK 824

$69.9 NOK 658

25.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$12.00 NOK 113

-46.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NOK 16.18

$1.86 NOK 17.52

-7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 1,003

$71.9 NOK 677

48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.21

$2.36 NOK 22.25

-4.66%

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

$49.6K NOK 467.6K

$48.5K NOK 457.0K

2.31%

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

$42.3K NOK 398.5K

$46.2K NOK 434.9K

-8.36%

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

$251 NOK 2,362

$227 NOK 2,137

10.54%

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

$35.70 NOK 336

$32.60 NOK 307

9.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 NOK 788

$56.7 NOK 534

47.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 NOK 495

$57.8 NOK 544

-9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.19 NOK 350

$30.57 NOK 288

21.66%

Cinema Ticket

$22.57 NOK 213

$19.33 NOK 182

16.76%

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

$330 NOK 3,112

$217 NOK 2,044

52.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

$16.0K NOK 150.5K

-9.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$131 NOK 1,230

$101 NOK 950

29.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 574

$60.8 NOK 572

0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 NOK 1,492

$133 NOK 1,254

18.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 NOK 1,978

$105 NOK 991

99.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

$1,235 NOK 11.6K

38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

$882 NOK 8,309

57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

$1,635 NOK 15.4K

70.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

$1,540 NOK 14.5K

35.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

$4,449 NOK 41.9K

38.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

$3,468 NOK 32.7K

57.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

17.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.98

5.82%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 14, 2026

Last update for Hamar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Stavanger and $1,235 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 18% 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: $97.0 in Stavanger vs $130 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $532 vs $455, 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 32% in total monthly costs ($3,202 vs $2,417 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,708 in Stavanger versus $1,235 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $130 versus $97.0 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,417 in Hamar versus $3,202 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 32% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.