Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Karmøy Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Karmøy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,709 in Stavanger versus $2,436 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,113 in Stavanger versus $3,783 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,516 in Stavanger versus $5,130 in Karmøy.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 11% more expensive than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 103% above, Karmøy 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 NOK 242

$25.53 NOK 245

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,160

$101 NOK 971

19.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.28 NOK 147

$13.68 NOK 131

11.70%

Cappuccino

$5.14 NOK 49.25

$5.01 NOK 48.06

2.59%

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

$3.91 NOK 37.50

$3.18 NOK 30.52

22.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 31.59

$2.81 NOK 26.92

17.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.23 NOK 108

$10.17 NOK 97.6

10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 96.3

$9.45 NOK 90.7

6.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.45

$2.19 NOK 21.03

6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.92

$3.41 NOK 32.74

-8.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 44.01

$3.31 NOK 31.74

38.67%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 41.68

$4.32 NOK 41.41

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 NOK 128

$12.23 NOK 117

8.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.55 NOK 159

$14.75 NOK 141

12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.18 NOK 261

$27.84 NOK 267

-2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.90

$3.47 NOK 33.25

-1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 24.21

$2.49 NOK 23.88

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 29.46

$3.33 NOK 31.90

-7.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NOK 44.08

$4.49 NOK 43.04

2.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 20.48

$2.40 NOK 23.07

-11.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.95

$2.45 NOK 23.53

23.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 NOK 24.68

$2.82 NOK 27.08

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 NOK 16.99

$1.85 NOK 17.73

-4.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 NOK 144

$14.12 NOK 135

6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.00 NOK 173

$17.83 NOK 171

0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 34.04

$3.45 NOK 33.11

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 39.94

$4.11 NOK 39.38

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.58

$4.16 NOK 39.91

6.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 NOK 645

$72.5 NOK 696

-7.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.99 NOK 144

$10.09 NOK 96.8

48.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 NOK 20.72

$1.39 NOK 13.36

55.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 978

$45.94 NOK 441

121.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.35

$2.09 NOK 20.07

1.44%

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

$33.9K NOK 325.2K

$35.7K NOK 342.0K

-4.92%

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

$32.9K NOK 316.0K

$38.7K NOK 371.3K

-14.90%

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

$193 NOK 1,855

$240 NOK 2,301

-19.39%

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

$42.48 NOK 407

$37.78 NOK 362

12.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.0 NOK 777

$55.0 NOK 528

47.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 536

$50.1 NOK 480

11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.09 NOK 337

$35.57 NOK 341

-1.35%

Cinema Ticket

$18.85 NOK 181

$16.74 NOK 161

12.60%

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

$321 NOK 3,079

$282 NOK 2,708

13.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

26.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,126

$96.1 NOK 922

22.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 556

$52.7 NOK 506

10.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NOK 991

$107 NOK 1,028

-3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,518

$150 NOK 1,440

5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 NOK 15.7K

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

37.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

$900 NOK 8,634

25.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,713 NOK 26.0K

$1,823 NOK 17.5K

48.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 NOK 16.8K

$1,555 NOK 14.9K

12.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,159 NOK 59.1K

$5,139 NOK 49.3K

19.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,339 NOK 51.2K

$3,582 NOK 34.3K

49.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,993 NOK 47.9K

$4,029 NOK 38.6K

23.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.38

2.97%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 20, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Stavanger and $1,192 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 24% 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 $101 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $455 per month, with Karmøy 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 Karmøy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger and Karmøy differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,709 vs $2,436 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $1,633 in Stavanger versus $1,192 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Karmøy runs roughly 8% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $321 in Stavanger versus $282 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,436 in Karmøy versus $2,709 in Stavanger, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Karmøy but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Karmøy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Karmøy 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 Karmøy 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.