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: $3,202 in Stavanger versus $2,626 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,642 in Stavanger versus $3,908 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,082 in Stavanger versus $5,189 in Harstad.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 22% more expensive than in Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 134% above, Harstad 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 NOK 243

$14.17 NOK 134

81.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 NOK 917

$109 NOK 1,027

-10.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.15 NOK 152

$16.17 NOK 152

-0.12%

Cappuccino

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$6.56 NOK 61.9

-2.90%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$3.84 NOK 36.18

39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.75

$3.18 NOK 29.98

39.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.88 NOK 131

$12.72 NOK 120

9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.16 NOK 115

$13.91 NOK 131

-12.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.55

$2.58 NOK 24.32

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.96

$3.48 NOK 32.77

3.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.33

$3.30 NOK 31.06

20.00%

Eggs

$5.05 NOK 47.55

$4.58 NOK 43.18

10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 NOK 142

$11.19 NOK 105

34.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 NOK 162

$15.09 NOK 142

14.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.93 NOK 339

$42.47 NOK 400

-15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 NOK 34.97

$4.24 NOK 39.94

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.20

$2.94 NOK 27.73

-5.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.84

$3.82 NOK 35.95

-8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NOK 47.53

$4.79 NOK 45.12

5.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.69

$2.16 NOK 20.37

16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.43

$2.17 NOK 20.48

43.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.45

$3.02 NOK 28.50

-3.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 NOK 22.84

$2.41 NOK 22.71

0.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 169

$16.82 NOK 158

6.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 NOK 177

$15.81 NOK 149

19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.16

$4.04 NOK 38.03

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 42.46

$4.98 NOK 46.97

-9.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 NOK 45.41

$6.22 NOK 58.6

-22.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 NOK 824

$84.4 NOK 796

3.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$16.02 NOK 151

-60.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NOK 16.18

$1.84 NOK 17.32

-6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 1,003

$56.9 NOK 536

87.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.21

$2.25 NOK 21.20

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

$49.6K NOK 467.6K

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

31.98%

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

$42.3K NOK 398.5K

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

32.21%

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

$251 NOK 2,362

$168 NOK 1,582

49.34%

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

$35.70 NOK 336

$34.80 NOK 328

2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 NOK 788

$81.9 NOK 771

2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 NOK 495

$51.1 NOK 482

2.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.19 NOK 350

$37.78 NOK 356

-1.56%

Cinema Ticket

$22.57 NOK 213

$17.55 NOK 165

28.60%

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

$330 NOK 3,112

$246 NOK 2,319

34.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

169.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$131 NOK 1,230

$68.7 NOK 647

90.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 574

$36.02 NOK 339

69.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 NOK 1,492

$124 NOK 1,170

27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 NOK 1,978

$168 NOK 1,580

25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

27.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

20.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

36.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

-0.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

32.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

38.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.40%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 14, 2026

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Stavanger and $1,387 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: $97.0 in Stavanger vs $109 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $532 vs $520, with Harstad 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $1,387 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Harstad – a meal for two runs $109 versus $97.0 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 22% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.