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: $3,218 in Stavanger versus $2,742 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,673 in Stavanger versus $4,097 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,128 in Stavanger versus $5,453 in Karmøy.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 17% more expensive than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 133% above, Karmøy 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.27 NOK 234

$21.51 NOK 200

17.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 NOK 906

$106 NOK 979

-7.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.20 NOK 150

$15.74 NOK 146

2.92%

Cappuccino

$6.50 NOK 60.3

$5.61 NOK 52.1

15.86%

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

$5.65 NOK 52.4

$4.25 NOK 39.41

32.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NOK 42.85

$3.12 NOK 28.91

48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 NOK 127

$11.61 NOK 108

18.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.21 NOK 113

$10.87 NOK 101

12.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.16

$2.60 NOK 24.15

-8.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 NOK 34.25

$3.58 NOK 33.21

3.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 NOK 37.50

$3.84 NOK 35.58

5.21%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.67

$5.10 NOK 47.35

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 141

$13.47 NOK 125

12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.62 NOK 163

$15.21 NOK 141

15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.78 NOK 332

$30.51 NOK 283

17.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.17

$3.48 NOK 32.33

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.88

$2.66 NOK 24.64

9.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.71

$3.46 NOK 32.06

4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 45.18

$5.23 NOK 48.53

-6.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.32

$2.66 NOK 24.65

-1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 30.03

$2.97 NOK 27.57

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.41

$3.11 NOK 28.82

-8.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.43

$2.44 NOK 22.64

-5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.75 NOK 165

$17.92 NOK 166

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 NOK 175

$16.56 NOK 154

14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 37.43

$3.62 NOK 33.61

11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.06

$4.30 NOK 39.86

5.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 NOK 44.10

$4.79 NOK 44.39

-0.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 808

$84.6 NOK 785

2.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 NOK 57.6

$12.39 NOK 115

-49.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.70

$1.92 NOK 17.77

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 971

$71.1 NOK 660

47.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.25

$2.30 NOK 21.31

-0.43%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.2K

$48.8K NOK 453.1K

2.90%

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

$43.0K NOK 398.5K

$44.5K NOK 412.5K

-3.39%

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

$261 NOK 2,424

$275 NOK 2,553

-5.04%

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

$35.80 NOK 332

$33.22 NOK 308

7.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.6 NOK 794

$57.1 NOK 529

50.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NOK 484

$50.4 NOK 468

3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.84 NOK 351

$37.15 NOK 345

1.86%

Cinema Ticket

$22.77 NOK 211

$17.99 NOK 167

26.57%

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

$332 NOK 3,079

$245 NOK 2,270

35.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 132.2K

$12.1K NOK 112.5K

17.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,182

$102 NOK 944

25.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 571

$57.2 NOK 530

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 NOK 1,447

$126 NOK 1,173

23.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 NOK 1,914

$160 NOK 1,484

28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 NOK 16.3K

$1,223 NOK 11.3K

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 NOK 12.9K

$1,051 NOK 9,752

32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 NOK 25.9K

$2,025 NOK 18.8K

37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

$1,683 NOK 15.6K

22.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,206 NOK 57.6K

$6,326 NOK 58.7K

-1.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,375 NOK 49.9K

$4,315 NOK 40.0K

24.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,012 NOK 46.5K

$4,071 NOK 37.8K

23.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.96

6.25%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 6, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Stavanger and $1,223 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 23% 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: $98.0 in Stavanger vs $105 in Karmøy. Groceries flip the comparison at $533 vs $494, with Karmøy 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 Karmøy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger and Karmøy differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($3,218 vs $2,742 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,757 in Stavanger versus $1,223 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 3% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $332 in Stavanger versus $245 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Karmøy is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 17% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.