Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Holmestrand Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Holmestrand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,202 in Stavanger versus $2,886 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,642 in Stavanger versus $4,324 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,082 in Stavanger versus $5,763 in Holmestrand.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 11% more expensive than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 134% above, Holmestrand 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 NOK 242

$21.57 NOK 203

19.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 NOK 917

$131 NOK 1,230

-25.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.15 NOK 152

$15.98 NOK 150

1.06%

Cappuccino

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$5.99 NOK 56.4

6.34%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$4.28 NOK 40.31

24.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.74

$3.32 NOK 31.32

33.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.88 NOK 131

$11.62 NOK 109

19.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.16 NOK 115

$12.83 NOK 121

-5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.54

$2.55 NOK 23.99

-1.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.95

$4.12 NOK 38.83

-12.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.32

$4.71 NOK 44.34

-15.92%

Eggs

$5.05 NOK 47.53

$6.21 NOK 58.5

-18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 NOK 142

$15.05 NOK 142

0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 NOK 162

$15.44 NOK 145

11.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.93 NOK 339

$29.69 NOK 280

21.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 NOK 34.96

$3.37 NOK 31.74

10.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.20

$2.63 NOK 24.74

5.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.83

$3.65 NOK 34.35

-4.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NOK 47.51

$6.04 NOK 56.9

-16.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.68

$2.73 NOK 25.76

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.42

$2.94 NOK 27.73

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.44

$3.24 NOK 30.52

-10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 NOK 22.84

$2.43 NOK 22.86

-0.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 169

$18.96 NOK 179

-5.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 NOK 177

$17.10 NOK 161

10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.15

$3.66 NOK 34.44

7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 42.45

$4.26 NOK 40.12

5.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 NOK 45.40

$5.09 NOK 47.92

-5.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 NOK 824

$90.4 NOK 852

-3.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$12.27 NOK 116

-48.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NOK 16.18

$1.92 NOK 18.06

-10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 1,003

$72.6 NOK 684

46.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.21

$2.27 NOK 21.35

-0.88%

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

$49.6K NOK 467.5K

$48.9K NOK 461.0K

1.41%

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

$42.3K NOK 398.4K

$45.1K NOK 424.4K

-6.13%

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

$251 NOK 2,362

$431 NOK 4,062

-41.86%

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

$35.70 NOK 336

$32.84 NOK 309

8.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 NOK 788

$56.5 NOK 532

48.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 NOK 495

$56.9 NOK 536

-7.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.19 NOK 350

$32.52 NOK 306

14.36%

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

$249 NOK 2,344

32.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

$16.1K NOK 151.5K

-9.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$131 NOK 1,230

$105 NOK 986

24.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 574

$60.9 NOK 573

0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 NOK 1,492

$136 NOK 1,279

16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 NOK 1,977

$163 NOK 1,535

28.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

$1,267 NOK 11.9K

34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

$1,068 NOK 10.1K

30.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

$2,213 NOK 20.9K

26.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

$1,955 NOK 18.4K

6.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

$6,013 NOK 56.6K

2.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

$4,360 NOK 41.1K

25.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

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 Holmestrand: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Stavanger and $1,267 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $97.0 in Stavanger vs $131 in Holmestrand. Groceries flip the comparison at $532 vs $516, with Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Stavanger. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Holmestrand the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,803 in Stavanger and $4,329 in Holmestrand to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,708 in Stavanger versus $1,267 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $330 in Stavanger versus $249 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Holmestrand is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Holmestrand delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,886 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Holmestrand hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.