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: $2,744 in Stavanger versus $2,490 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in Stavanger versus $3,838 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,629 in Stavanger versus $5,185 in Karmøy.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 10% more expensive than Karmøy, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Karmøy 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 241

$24.81 NOK 235

2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,142

$99.6 NOK 941

21.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$13.60 NOK 129

12.57%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.88

$4.83 NOK 45.66

7.04%

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

$4.04 NOK 38.23

$3.19 NOK 30.20

26.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.77

$2.94 NOK 27.76

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 105

$9.93 NOK 93.9

12.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 97.1

$9.38 NOK 88.7

9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.13

$2.25 NOK 21.30

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.53

$3.32 NOK 31.41

-9.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.13

$3.33 NOK 31.49

36.94%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 42.19

$4.42 NOK 41.83

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 124

$12.17 NOK 115

7.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 158

$14.81 NOK 140

12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 257

$28.09 NOK 266

-3.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.85

$3.53 NOK 33.35

1.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.22

$2.50 NOK 23.61

2.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.21

$3.37 NOK 31.89

-11.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 43.59

$4.50 NOK 42.53

2.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.76

$2.48 NOK 23.44

-15.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.21

$2.50 NOK 23.59

23.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.68

$2.76 NOK 26.14

-9.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 17.11

$1.92 NOK 18.16

-5.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 145

$13.83 NOK 131

11.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 181

$18.34 NOK 173

4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 34.29

$3.26 NOK 30.83

11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 39.06

$4.08 NOK 38.61

1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 44.07

$4.31 NOK 40.74

8.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 634

$72.7 NOK 687

-7.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 141

$10.02 NOK 94.7

49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 20.05

$1.45 NOK 13.69

46.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 943

$46.91 NOK 443

112.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.31

$2.08 NOK 19.67

3.37%

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

$34.0K NOK 321.3K

$35.1K NOK 331.8K

-3.17%

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

$32.8K NOK 309.8K

$39.2K NOK 371.0K

-16.50%

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

$191 NOK 1,809

$244 NOK 2,306

-21.54%

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

$42.73 NOK 404

$37.96 NOK 359

12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 774

$55.4 NOK 523

47.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 528

$49.25 NOK 466

13.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 337

$34.82 NOK 329

2.35%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 184

$16.76 NOK 158

16.41%

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

$318 NOK 3,009

$282 NOK 2,668

12.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 120.7K

$10.3K NOK 97.0K

24.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,126

$95.9 NOK 906

24.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 551

$51.7 NOK 488

12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 998

$107 NOK 1,009

-1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,486

$154 NOK 1,451

2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 15.2K

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.5K

$877 NOK 8,293

27.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 26.1K

$1,789 NOK 16.9K

54.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.4K

$1,532 NOK 14.5K

13.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.5K

$6,260 NOK 59.2K

-1.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 51.4K

$4,632 NOK 43.8K

17.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 47.2K

$4,169 NOK 39.4K

19.76%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Stavanger and $1,219 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 20% 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 $100 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $472 vs $458 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 10% in total monthly costs ($2,744 vs $2,490 including rent). Karmøy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stavanger pays 20% 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: $1,604 in Stavanger versus $1,219 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 $318 in Stavanger versus $282 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,490 in Karmøy versus $2,744 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 10% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.