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: $2,744 in Stavanger versus $2,229 in Kristiansund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in Stavanger versus $3,436 in Kristiansund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,629 in Stavanger versus $4,642 in Kristiansund.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Kristiansund 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$25.42 NOK 236

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,122

$101 NOK 942

19.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 142

$13.63 NOK 127

12.33%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.03

$4.88 NOK 45.38

5.94%

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

$4.04 NOK 37.57

$3.17 NOK 29.48

27.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.20

$2.79 NOK 25.94

24.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 104

$10.00 NOK 92.9

11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 95.4

$9.36 NOK 86.9

9.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.73

$2.41 NOK 22.36

1.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.03

$3.37 NOK 31.35

-10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 42.38

$3.25 NOK 30.19

40.31%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 41.46

$4.47 NOK 41.53

-0.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 122

$11.82 NOK 110

10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 155

$14.56 NOK 135

14.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 252

$27.60 NOK 256

-1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.26

$3.42 NOK 31.76

4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.80

$2.45 NOK 22.79

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 27.72

$3.39 NOK 31.46

-12.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.83

$4.58 NOK 42.53

0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.42

$2.44 NOK 22.67

-14.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.70

$2.56 NOK 23.74

20.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$2.87 NOK 26.70

-12.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 16.81

$1.92 NOK 17.80

-5.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 143

$15.47 NOK 144

-0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 178

$18.43 NOK 171

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.70

$3.31 NOK 30.78

9.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 38.39

$4.02 NOK 37.30

2.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 43.31

$4.28 NOK 39.75

8.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 623

$72.6 NOK 675

-7.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 139

$10.30 NOK 95.7

45.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 19.70

$1.41 NOK 13.08

50.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 927

$47.30 NOK 439

110.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 19.96

$2.10 NOK 19.48

2.38%

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

$34.0K NOK 315.8K

$35.3K NOK 328.2K

-3.79%

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

$32.8K NOK 304.4K

$38.1K NOK 354.4K

-14.09%

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

$191 NOK 1,778

$244 NOK 2,267

-21.55%

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

$42.73 NOK 397

$37.75 NOK 351

13.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 761

$54.7 NOK 508

49.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 519

$49.19 NOK 457

13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 331

$35.12 NOK 326

1.48%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 181

$16.36 NOK 152

19.25%

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

$318 NOK 2,957

$282 NOK 2,620

12.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 118.6K

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

26.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,107

$97.4 NOK 905

22.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 542

$51.4 NOK 477

13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 981

$110 NOK 1,017

-3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,460

$151 NOK 1,403

4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 14.9K

$765 NOK 7,109

109.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.4K

$685 NOK 6,364

62.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 25.6K

$1,213 NOK 11.3K

127.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.1K

$1,026 NOK 9,531

69.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 57.5K

$6,072 NOK 56.4K

1.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 50.5K

$4,539 NOK 42.2K

19.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 46.4K

$3,816 NOK 35.5K

30.81%

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 Kristiansund: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Stavanger and $765 in Kristiansund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 31% 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 $101 in Kristiansund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $472 vs $456 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 ($2,744 vs $2,229 including rent). Kristiansund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stavanger pays 31% 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 $765 in Kristiansund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $101 versus $121 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,229 in Kristiansund versus $2,744 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.