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: $2,773 in Stavanger versus $2,260 in Kristiansund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,121 in Stavanger versus $3,403 in Kristiansund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,469 in Stavanger versus $4,547 in Kristiansund.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 23% more expensive than in Kristiansund, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 108% above, Kristiansund 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 NOK 243

$25.66 NOK 247

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,193

$102 NOK 985

21.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 149

$13.47 NOK 130

14.85%

Cappuccino

$5.09 NOK 49.08

$5.05 NOK 48.66

0.79%

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

$3.97 NOK 38.27

$3.21 NOK 30.94

23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.99

$2.90 NOK 28.01

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 109

$10.25 NOK 98.8

10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 96.8

$9.57 NOK 92.3

4.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 23.46

$2.38 NOK 22.92

2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 NOK 29.28

$3.40 NOK 32.81

-10.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 43.38

$3.20 NOK 30.85

40.62%

Eggs

$4.44 NOK 42.80

$4.45 NOK 42.88

-0.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 125

$11.99 NOK 116

8.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 NOK 155

$14.50 NOK 140

11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.22 NOK 262

$28.13 NOK 271

-3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.48

$3.43 NOK 33.10

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.45

$2.46 NOK 23.68

3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.92

$3.42 NOK 32.99

-9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.89

$4.54 NOK 43.78

4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.79

$2.48 NOK 23.87

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.77

$2.59 NOK 24.98

19.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.12

$2.82 NOK 27.21

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.78

$1.92 NOK 18.52

-9.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 NOK 144

$15.15 NOK 146

-1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 NOK 173

$17.14 NOK 165

4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 33.68

$3.27 NOK 31.49

6.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.93

$3.99 NOK 38.50

3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 45.02

$4.14 NOK 39.88

12.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 NOK 660

$74.2 NOK 716

-7.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 NOK 145

$10.29 NOK 99.2

46.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 NOK 20.77

$1.38 NOK 13.29

55.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 976

$47.54 NOK 458

112.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 21.00

$2.07 NOK 19.93

5.31%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.5K

$36.1K NOK 347.9K

-4.40%

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

$33.2K NOK 319.8K

$39.2K NOK 377.8K

-15.35%

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

$191 NOK 1,842

$242 NOK 2,335

-21.13%

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

$43.05 NOK 415

$38.08 NOK 367

13.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 790

$56.2 NOK 542

45.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 540

$49.02 NOK 473

14.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.99 NOK 337

$35.32 NOK 341

-0.93%

Cinema Ticket

$19.39 NOK 187

$16.48 NOK 159

17.66%

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

$315 NOK 3,038

$288 NOK 2,781

9.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

$10.2K NOK 98.7K

24.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,152

$96.0 NOK 925

24.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 576

$52.0 NOK 502

14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,029

$107 NOK 1,030

-0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,552

$150 NOK 1,451

6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

$762 NOK 7,344

112.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

$665 NOK 6,409

70.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 NOK 26.2K

$1,211 NOK 11.7K

124.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

$1,029 NOK 9,923

68.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,982 NOK 57.7K

$5,733 NOK 55.3K

4.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NOK 49.7K

$3,969 NOK 38.3K

29.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 NOK 47.7K

$3,675 NOK 35.4K

34.56%

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 Kristiansund: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,617 in Stavanger and $762 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: $124 in Stavanger vs $102 in Kristiansund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 vs $455 per month, with Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger and Kristiansund differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,773 vs $2,260 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: $1,617 in Stavanger versus $762 in Kristiansund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $102 versus $124 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,260 in Kristiansund versus $2,773 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 23% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.