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: $2,741 in Stavanger versus $2,485 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,135 in Stavanger versus $3,699 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,530 in Stavanger versus $4,912 in Harstad.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Harstad 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 NOK 234

$13.48 NOK 125

86.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$123 NOK 1,145

-1.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 NOK 140

$15.11 NOK 140

-0.26%

Cappuccino

$4.98 NOK 46.28

$5.99 NOK 55.7

-16.86%

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

$4.03 NOK 37.46

$3.44 NOK 31.99

17.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.18

$3.07 NOK 28.55

9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.18 NOK 104

$11.11 NOK 103

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 95.2

$11.20 NOK 104

-8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.02

$2.33 NOK 21.67

1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$3.16 NOK 29.38

-4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 NOK 41.64

$3.10 NOK 28.84

44.52%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 40.46

$4.28 NOK 39.79

1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 NOK 123

$10.56 NOK 98.2

25.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.31 NOK 152

$15.15 NOK 141

7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.77 NOK 258

$38.04 NOK 354

-27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.92

$3.88 NOK 36.12

-8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.77 NOK 25.80

-5.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.90

$3.52 NOK 32.72

-14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 43.33

$4.64 NOK 43.16

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.73

$1.99 NOK 18.54

6.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.59

$2.05 NOK 19.10

44.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$2.68 NOK 24.91

-6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.39

$1.76 NOK 16.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 139

$15.25 NOK 142

-1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$16.36 NOK 152

15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.68

$3.62 NOK 33.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 37.00

$4.53 NOK 42.14

-12.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 NOK 41.34

$6.03 NOK 56.1

-26.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 NOK 630

$79.3 NOK 737

-14.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 NOK 141

$12.82 NOK 119

17.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 NOK 20.17

$1.44 NOK 13.41

50.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 942

$50.5 NOK 470

100.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.91

$2.13 NOK 19.78

0.47%

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

$34.2K NOK 317.7K

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

1.88%

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

$32.6K NOK 303.0K

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

7.34%

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

$193 NOK 1,796

$159 NOK 1,480

21.32%

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

$42.05 NOK 391

$33.50 NOK 312

25.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 NOK 768

$76.7 NOK 714

7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 NOK 527

$48.47 NOK 451

16.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.06 NOK 335

$35.46 NOK 330

1.69%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 182

$16.65 NOK 155

17.54%

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

$322 NOK 2,992

$336 NOK 3,125

-4.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 122.8K

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

161.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,116

$77.2 NOK 718

55.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 556

$32.68 NOK 304

82.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$117 NOK 1,089

-10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,473

$135 NOK 1,260

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 NOK 15.2K

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 NOK 10.6K

$1,021 NOK 9,498

11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 NOK 25.7K

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

25.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 NOK 16.7K

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

24.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,956 NOK 55.4K

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

-0.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,337 NOK 49.6K

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

15.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,925 NOK 45.8K

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

38.23%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Harstad: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Stavanger and $1,331 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 38% 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 $123 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $481 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.

Stavanger pays 38% 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: $1,639 in Stavanger versus $1,331 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 $123 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.