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: $2,744 in Stavanger versus $2,422 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in Stavanger versus $3,693 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,629 in Stavanger versus $4,965 in Harstad.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 13% more expensive than Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Harstad 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 241

$13.57 NOK 128

87.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,142

$119 NOK 1,129

1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$15.33 NOK 145

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.88

$6.05 NOK 57.2

-14.55%

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

$4.04 NOK 38.23

$3.45 NOK 32.61

17.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.77

$2.99 NOK 28.30

16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 105

$11.22 NOK 106

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 97.1

$11.32 NOK 107

-9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.13

$2.32 NOK 21.90

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.53

$3.15 NOK 29.82

-4.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.13

$3.00 NOK 28.35

52.00%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 42.19

$4.18 NOK 39.48

6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 124

$10.56 NOK 99.9

24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 158

$14.92 NOK 141

12.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 257

$37.12 NOK 351

-26.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.85

$4.06 NOK 38.37

-11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.22

$2.68 NOK 25.35

-4.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.21

$3.46 NOK 32.74

-13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 43.59

$4.67 NOK 44.15

-1.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.76

$1.99 NOK 18.86

5.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.21

$1.98 NOK 18.72

56.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.68

$2.77 NOK 26.23

-9.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 17.11

$1.79 NOK 16.90

1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 145

$15.21 NOK 144

1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 181

$16.00 NOK 151

19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 34.29

$3.56 NOK 33.64

1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 39.06

$4.50 NOK 42.56

-8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 44.07

$5.95 NOK 56.3

-21.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 634

$81.5 NOK 771

-17.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 141

$12.47 NOK 118

20.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 20.05

$1.44 NOK 13.57

47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 943

$51.3 NOK 485

94.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.31

$2.11 NOK 19.96

1.90%

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

$34.0K NOK 321.3K

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

1.09%

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

$32.8K NOK 309.8K

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

6.23%

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

$191 NOK 1,809

$160 NOK 1,509

19.90%

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

$42.73 NOK 404

$33.10 NOK 313

29.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 774

$77.0 NOK 728

6.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 528

$49.67 NOK 470

12.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 337

$36.08 NOK 341

-1.22%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 184

$16.99 NOK 161

14.83%

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

$318 NOK 3,009

$329 NOK 3,110

-3.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 120.7K

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

148.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,126

$77.2 NOK 730

54.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 551

$33.44 NOK 316

74.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 998

$118 NOK 1,113

-10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,486

$134 NOK 1,269

17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 15.2K

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.5K

$1,004 NOK 9,490

11.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 26.1K

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

24.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.4K

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

16.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.5K

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

3.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 51.4K

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

19.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 47.2K

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

39.42%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Harstad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Stavanger and $1,330 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 39% 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 $119 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $472 vs $476, with Stavanger 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 39% 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: $1,604 in Stavanger versus $1,330 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 1% 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 $119 versus $121 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,744 in Stavanger, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Harstad but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Harstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 13% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.