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: $2,741 in Stavanger versus $2,422 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,135 in Stavanger versus $3,792 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,530 in Stavanger versus $5,161 in Karmøy.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 13% more expensive than Karmøy, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Karmøy 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 NOK 234

$25.28 NOK 235

-0.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$102 NOK 945

19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 NOK 140

$13.41 NOK 125

12.38%

Cappuccino

$4.98 NOK 46.28

$4.88 NOK 45.36

2.05%

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

$4.03 NOK 37.46

$3.12 NOK 29.04

29.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.18

$2.85 NOK 26.51

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.18 NOK 104

$10.03 NOK 93.2

11.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 95.2

$9.37 NOK 87.1

9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.02

$2.19 NOK 20.38

8.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$3.37 NOK 31.37

-10.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 NOK 41.64

$3.20 NOK 29.75

40.00%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 40.46

$4.32 NOK 40.17

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 NOK 123

$11.83 NOK 110

12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.31 NOK 152

$14.67 NOK 136

11.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.77 NOK 258

$28.42 NOK 264

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.92

$3.47 NOK 32.25

2.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.46 NOK 22.85

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.90

$3.25 NOK 30.20

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 43.33

$4.34 NOK 40.36

7.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.73

$2.44 NOK 22.73

-13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.59

$2.58 NOK 24.01

15.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$2.79 NOK 25.93

-10.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.39

$1.88 NOK 17.52

-6.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 139

$13.77 NOK 128

8.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$18.22 NOK 169

3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.68

$3.35 NOK 31.12

8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 37.00

$3.93 NOK 36.57

1.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 NOK 41.34

$4.28 NOK 39.80

3.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 NOK 630

$73.7 NOK 686

-8.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 NOK 141

$10.28 NOK 95.6

47.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 NOK 20.17

$1.40 NOK 13.06

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 942

$47.28 NOK 440

114.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.91

$2.00 NOK 18.57

7.00%

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

$34.2K NOK 317.7K

$34.8K NOK 323.6K

-1.80%

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

$32.6K NOK 303.0K

$38.2K NOK 355.1K

-14.67%

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

$193 NOK 1,796

$238 NOK 2,210

-18.73%

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

$42.05 NOK 391

$37.95 NOK 353

10.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 NOK 768

$54.9 NOK 510

50.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 NOK 527

$50.2 NOK 467

12.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.06 NOK 335

$34.73 NOK 323

3.83%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 182

$16.37 NOK 152

19.55%

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

$322 NOK 2,992

$287 NOK 2,674

11.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 122.8K

$10.0K NOK 93.2K

31.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,116

$95.6 NOK 889

25.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 556

$51.9 NOK 483

15.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$109 NOK 1,011

-3.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,473

$151 NOK 1,401

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 NOK 15.2K

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 NOK 10.6K

$903 NOK 8,396

26.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 NOK 25.7K

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

54.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 NOK 16.7K

$1,549 NOK 14.4K

15.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,956 NOK 55.4K

$5,458 NOK 50.8K

9.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,337 NOK 49.6K

$4,019 NOK 37.4K

32.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,925 NOK 45.8K

$3,995 NOK 37.2K

23.27%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Stavanger and $1,206 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: $121 in Stavanger vs $102 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $454 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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,741 vs $2,422 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stavanger pays 23% 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 $1,206 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 9% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $322 in Stavanger versus $287 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 13% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.