Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Harstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Harstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,709 in Stavanger versus $2,470 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,113 in Stavanger versus $3,732 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,516 in Stavanger versus $4,993 in Harstad.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 10% more expensive than in Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 103% above, Harstad 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 NOK 241

$13.58 NOK 130

85.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,158

$121 NOK 1,156

0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.28 NOK 146

$15.25 NOK 146

0.20%

Cappuccino

$5.14 NOK 49.15

$6.21 NOK 59.4

-17.23%

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

$3.91 NOK 37.42

$3.62 NOK 34.61

8.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 31.53

$3.12 NOK 29.83

5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.23 NOK 107

$10.99 NOK 105

2.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 96.1

$11.23 NOK 108

-10.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.41

$2.45 NOK 23.41

-4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.86

$3.30 NOK 31.58

-5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 43.92

$3.02 NOK 28.88

51.99%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 41.60

$4.14 NOK 39.66

5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 NOK 127

$10.47 NOK 100

27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.55 NOK 158

$15.42 NOK 148

7.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.18 NOK 260

$37.05 NOK 355

-26.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.83

$4.05 NOK 38.80

-15.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 24.16

$2.66 NOK 25.51

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 29.40

$3.53 NOK 33.77

-13.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NOK 44.00

$4.65 NOK 44.48

-1.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 20.44

$2.06 NOK 19.70

3.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.89

$1.98 NOK 18.93

52.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 NOK 24.63

$2.67 NOK 25.57

-3.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 NOK 16.96

$1.76 NOK 16.85

0.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 NOK 144

$14.92 NOK 143

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.00 NOK 172

$15.83 NOK 152

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.97

$3.48 NOK 33.29

2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 39.87

$4.70 NOK 44.96

-11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.49

$6.11 NOK 58.5

-27.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 NOK 644

$79.3 NOK 759

-15.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.99 NOK 143

$12.53 NOK 120

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 NOK 20.68

$1.40 NOK 13.42

54.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 976

$50.8 NOK 486

100.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.31

$2.14 NOK 20.50

-0.93%

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

$33.9K NOK 324.6K

$33.3K NOK 319.0K

1.73%

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

$32.9K NOK 315.4K

$30.4K NOK 291.0K

8.39%

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

$193 NOK 1,851

$162 NOK 1,552

19.27%

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

$42.48 NOK 407

$32.24 NOK 309

31.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.0 NOK 775

$76.7 NOK 734

5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 535

$48.64 NOK 466

14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.09 NOK 336

$35.38 NOK 339

-0.82%

Cinema Ticket

$18.85 NOK 180

$16.78 NOK 161

12.34%

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

$321 NOK 3,073

$334 NOK 3,194

-3.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 123.4K

$5,159 NOK 49.4K

149.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,124

$75.0 NOK 718

56.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 555

$33.21 NOK 318

74.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NOK 989

$118 NOK 1,131

-12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,515

$136 NOK 1,303

16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 NOK 15.6K

$1,298 NOK 12.4K

25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

$1,006 NOK 9,627

12.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,713 NOK 26.0K

$2,189 NOK 20.9K

23.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 NOK 16.7K

$1,471 NOK 14.1K

18.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,159 NOK 59.0K

$5,805 NOK 55.6K

6.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,339 NOK 51.1K

$3,967 NOK 38.0K

34.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,993 NOK 47.8K

$3,370 NOK 32.3K

48.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.27

5.62%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 20, 2026

Last update for Harstad: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Stavanger and $1,298 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 48% 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: $121 in Stavanger vs $121 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $480 per month, with Stavanger 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,633 in Stavanger versus $1,298 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Harstad – a meal for two runs $121 versus $121 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Harstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Harstad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Harstad 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 Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.