Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Kristiansand Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Kristiansand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Stavanger versus $2,352 in Kristiansand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,121 in Stavanger versus $3,543 in Kristiansand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,469 in Stavanger versus $4,734 in Kristiansand.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 18% more expensive than in Kristiansand, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 108% above, Kristiansand 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 NOK 243

$25.04 NOK 242

0.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,193

$100 NOK 966

23.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 149

$13.28 NOK 128

16.49%

Cappuccino

$5.09 NOK 49.08

$5.05 NOK 48.65

0.79%

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

$3.97 NOK 38.27

$2.55 NOK 24.56

55.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.99

$2.12 NOK 20.41

61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 109

$9.13 NOK 88.1

23.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 96.8

$9.78 NOK 94.3

2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 23.46

$2.21 NOK 21.30

9.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 NOK 29.28

$3.33 NOK 32.12

-8.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 43.38

$3.21 NOK 30.99

40.19%

Eggs

$4.44 NOK 42.80

$4.18 NOK 40.27

6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 125

$11.26 NOK 109

15.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 NOK 155

$13.96 NOK 135

15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.22 NOK 262

$30.90 NOK 298

-11.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.48

$3.47 NOK 33.47

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.45

$2.35 NOK 22.71

8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.92

$3.28 NOK 31.59

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.89

$4.21 NOK 40.64

13.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.79

$2.29 NOK 22.12

-5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.77

$2.22 NOK 21.40

39.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.12

$2.75 NOK 26.52

-5.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.78

$1.84 NOK 17.75

-5.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 NOK 144

$13.91 NOK 134

7.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 NOK 173

$15.53 NOK 150

15.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 33.68

$3.25 NOK 31.37

7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.93

$3.91 NOK 37.70

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 45.02

$3.52 NOK 33.97

32.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 NOK 660

$65.3 NOK 630

4.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 NOK 145

$10.31 NOK 99.4

45.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 NOK 20.77

$1.45 NOK 13.96

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 976

$42.68 NOK 412

137.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 21.00

$2.18 NOK 21.03

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

$34.5K NOK 332.5K

$35.6K NOK 343.7K

-3.24%

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

$33.2K NOK 319.8K

$42.7K NOK 411.8K

-22.33%

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

$191 NOK 1,842

$216 NOK 2,082

-11.52%

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

$43.05 NOK 415

$31.13 NOK 300

38.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 790

$37.26 NOK 359

119.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 540

$41.99 NOK 405

33.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.99 NOK 337

$35.93 NOK 347

-2.62%

Cinema Ticket

$19.39 NOK 187

$14.86 NOK 143

30.48%

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

$315 NOK 3,038

$273 NOK 2,634

15.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

$14.5K NOK 139.9K

-11.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,152

$104 NOK 1,006

14.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 576

$47.04 NOK 454

27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,029

$101 NOK 978

5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,552

$153 NOK 1,472

5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

$1,024 NOK 9,871

57.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

$878 NOK 8,469

29.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 NOK 26.2K

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

56.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

$1,417 NOK 13.7K

22.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,982 NOK 57.7K

$4,761 NOK 45.9K

25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NOK 49.7K

$3,327 NOK 32.1K

55.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 NOK 47.7K

$4,092 NOK 39.5K

20.85%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Kristiansand: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,617 in Stavanger and $1,024 in Kristiansand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 21% 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: $124 in Stavanger vs $100 in Kristiansand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 vs $446 per month, with Kristiansand 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 Kristiansand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kristiansand is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,617 in Stavanger versus $1,024 in Kristiansand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kristiansand – a meal for two runs $100 versus $124 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,352 in Kristiansand versus $2,773 in Stavanger, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kristiansand but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Kristiansand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kristiansand is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Kristiansand 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 Kristiansand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.