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: $2,699 in Stavanger versus $2,359 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Stavanger versus $3,603 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,601 in Stavanger versus $4,846 in Holmestrand.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 14% more expensive than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 103% above, Holmestrand 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$19.56 NOK 186

28.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,167

$100 NOK 948

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 143

$13.39 NOK 127

12.62%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 47.61

$4.85 NOK 45.95

3.51%

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

$3.89 NOK 36.85

$1.97 NOK 18.69

97.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.26

$1.98 NOK 18.74

71.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 104

$9.17 NOK 86.9

19.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 97.3

$9.41 NOK 89.2

9.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.72

$1.65 NOK 15.68

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.46

$3.29 NOK 31.22

-5.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 44.03

$1.96 NOK 18.60

136.73%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 42.88

$4.17 NOK 39.50

8.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 123

$11.15 NOK 106

16.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 NOK 154

$14.10 NOK 134

15.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 262

$40.17 NOK 381

-31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.45

$1.99 NOK 18.87

77.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.92

$2.34 NOK 22.16

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.94

$3.17 NOK 30.04

-3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.17

$2.37 NOK 22.44

96.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.44

$0.80 NOK 7.54

156.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.86

$1.35 NOK 12.83

125.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.47

$2.84 NOK 26.95

-9.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.56

$1.92 NOK 18.22

-8.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 143

$13.92 NOK 132

8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$17.98 NOK 170

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.60

$3.00 NOK 28.47

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.69

$4.03 NOK 38.19

1.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.44

$4.21 NOK 39.92

8.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NOK 656

$74.7 NOK 708

-7.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 NOK 146

$9.04 NOK 85.7

70.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.62

$0.94 NOK 8.91

120.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 972

$99.3 NOK 941

3.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.92

$2.12 NOK 20.07

4.25%

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

$34.7K NOK 329.2K

$38.3K NOK 363.1K

-9.34%

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

$32.7K NOK 310.2K

$33.5K NOK 318.0K

-2.43%

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

$192 NOK 1,821

$219 NOK 2,079

-12.42%

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

$42.41 NOK 402

$43.10 NOK 409

-1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 767

$38.56 NOK 366

109.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 529

$48.42 NOK 459

15.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 NOK 333

$35.31 NOK 335

-0.40%

Cinema Ticket

$19.02 NOK 180

$15.14 NOK 144

25.63%

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

$314 NOK 2,975

$302 NOK 2,866

3.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.1K

$10.1K NOK 96.2K

27.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,096

$110 NOK 1,039

5.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 553

$30.04 NOK 285

94.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,018

$98.6 NOK 935

8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,493

$133 NOK 1,265

17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,217 NOK 11.5K

31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 NOK 10.8K

$899 NOK 8,526

26.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 NOK 26.5K

$1,795 NOK 17.0K

55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 NOK 16.9K

$1,556 NOK 14.8K

14.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.9K

$5,686 NOK 53.9K

5.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,223 NOK 49.5K

$3,422 NOK 32.4K

52.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,909 NOK 46.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

125.50%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 26, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $123 in Stavanger vs $100 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $445 per month, with Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand wins on cost – living expenses run 14% 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 $4,048 in Stavanger and $3,538 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: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Stavanger versus $302 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Holmestrand versus $2,699 in Stavanger, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Holmestrand but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Holmestrand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Holmestrand delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,359 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 14% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.