Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Kristiansund Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Kristiansund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,179 in Stavanger versus $2,389 in Kristiansund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,668 in Stavanger versus $3,659 in Kristiansund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,158 in Stavanger versus $4,928 in Kristiansund.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 33% more expensive than in Kristiansund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 131% above, Kristiansund 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.10 NOK 242

$18.31 NOK 170

42.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 929

$111 NOK 1,030

-9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.98 NOK 148

$16.44 NOK 153

-2.80%

Cappuccino

$6.53 NOK 60.7

$5.50 NOK 51.0

18.73%

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

$5.57 NOK 51.7

$3.76 NOK 34.95

48.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NOK 42.21

$3.05 NOK 28.33

49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.62 NOK 126

$13.39 NOK 124

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.09 NOK 112

$10.09 NOK 93.7

19.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.11

$2.58 NOK 23.96

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.46

$3.63 NOK 33.68

-0.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 36.73

$3.95 NOK 36.69

0.25%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.18

$4.95 NOK 45.99

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 NOK 136

$13.23 NOK 123

10.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.53 NOK 163

$15.46 NOK 144

13.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.75 NOK 332

$29.91 NOK 278

19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.37

$3.49 NOK 32.36

6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.53

$2.67 NOK 24.79

7.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.20

$3.45 NOK 32.05

3.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 45.45

$5.29 NOK 49.07

-7.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.18

$2.66 NOK 24.68

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.42

$2.86 NOK 26.57

10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NOK 26.95

$3.05 NOK 28.34

-4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.46

$2.34 NOK 21.73

-1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$17.93 NOK 166

-1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 NOK 178

$16.93 NOK 157

13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.74

$3.44 NOK 31.98

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 NOK 42.76

$4.46 NOK 41.39

3.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.89 NOK 45.43

$4.77 NOK 44.25

2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 809

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 NOK 60.1

$12.33 NOK 114

-47.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.56

$1.72 NOK 15.95

3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 976

$77.2 NOK 716

36.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.58

$2.45 NOK 22.72

-5.31%

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

$48.7K NOK 452.4K

$48.8K NOK 452.9K

-0.11%

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

$41.8K NOK 388.4K

$44.5K NOK 413.4K

-6.05%

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

$257 NOK 2,389

$277 NOK 2,571

-7.08%

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

$35.59 NOK 330

$34.16 NOK 317

4.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 788

$58.0 NOK 538

46.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 NOK 489

$40.44 NOK 375

30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.90 NOK 343

$29.94 NOK 278

23.25%

Cinema Ticket

$22.33 NOK 207

$26.95 NOK 250

-17.14%

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

$325 NOK 3,018

$247 NOK 2,291

31.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 133.5K

$12.2K NOK 113.2K

17.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,169

$103 NOK 955

22.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 564

$55.2 NOK 513

9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 NOK 1,440

$128 NOK 1,188

21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 NOK 1,886

$162 NOK 1,500

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 NOK 16.2K

$812 NOK 7,536

115.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 12.9K

$716 NOK 6,649

93.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 NOK 26.4K

$1,285 NOK 11.9K

121.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 NOK 19.0K

$1,066 NOK 9,896

91.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,241 NOK 57.9K

$6,432 NOK 59.7K

-2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 NOK 51.3K

$4,292 NOK 39.9K

28.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,111 NOK 47.5K

$3,777 NOK 35.1K

35.30%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kristiansund: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,746 in Stavanger and $812 in Kristiansund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 35% 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: $100 in Stavanger vs $111 in Kristiansund. Groceries flip the comparison at $530 vs $492, with Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger and Kristiansund differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($3,179 vs $2,389 including rent). Kristiansund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,746 in Stavanger versus $812 in Kristiansund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kristiansund – a meal for two runs $111 versus $100 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,389 in Kristiansund versus $3,179 in Stavanger, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kristiansund but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.