Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Kristiansund

For one person, living is cheaper in Kristiansund: $2,340 a month against $3,182 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stavanger
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,182
/mo nomad
Kristiansund
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Kristiansund

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stavanger and in Kristiansund actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Stavanger versus $2,340 in Kristiansund.

  • Stavanger $3,182
  • Kristiansund $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,594 in Stavanger versus $3,549 in Kristiansund.

  • Stavanger $4,594
  • Kristiansund $3,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,007 in Stavanger versus $4,757 in Kristiansund.

  • Stavanger $6,007
  • Kristiansund $4,757

Living in Stavanger is roughly 36% more expensive than in Kristiansund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 135% above, Kristiansund 73% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.06 NOK 227
$20.85 NOK 196
15.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$96.0 NOK 904
$105 NOK 992
-8.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.68 NOK 148
$15.89 NOK 150
-1.32%
Cappuccino
$6.18 NOK 58.2
$5.56 NOK 52.3
11.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 NOK 54.1
$4.12 NOK 38.74
39.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51 NOK 42.48
$3.05 NOK 28.70
47.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$14.04 NOK 132
$11.64 NOK 110
20.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.57 NOK 99.5
$10.27 NOK 96.7
2.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.52 NOK 23.72
$2.45 NOK 23.11
2.86%
White Bread (500g)
$3.51 NOK 33.07
$3.69 NOK 34.71
-4.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.97 NOK 37.39
$3.75 NOK 35.32
5.87%
Eggs
$4.79 NOK 45.06
$4.88 NOK 45.91
-1.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.72 NOK 139
$13.32 NOK 125
10.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.47 NOK 164
$15.21 NOK 143
14.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$36.08 NOK 340
$31.26 NOK 294
15.42%
Apples (1kg)
$3.52 NOK 33.12
$3.34 NOK 31.41
5.39%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 NOK 26.71
$2.58 NOK 24.32
10.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.61 NOK 33.98
$3.37 NOK 31.71
7.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.94 NOK 46.50
$4.74 NOK 44.63
4.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.62 NOK 24.64
$2.61 NOK 24.54
0.38%
Onion (1kg)
$3.19 NOK 30.06
$2.93 NOK 27.60
8.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.75 NOK 25.91
$3.05 NOK 28.68
-9.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 NOK 21.76
$2.24 NOK 21.12
3.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.56 NOK 165
$17.16 NOK 162
2.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.06 NOK 179
$16.25 NOK 153
17.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 NOK 35.97
$3.51 NOK 33.03
8.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 NOK 43.28
$4.33 NOK 40.78
6.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.70 NOK 44.26
$4.58 NOK 43.08
2.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 NOK 834
$85.2 NOK 802
3.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.33 NOK 59.6
$11.99 NOK 113
-47.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 NOK 16.19
$1.86 NOK 17.49
-7.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$103 NOK 973
$68.4 NOK 643
51.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.39 NOK 22.47
$2.49 NOK 23.46
-4.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.2K NOK 462.7K
$47.1K NOK 443.8K
4.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.3K NOK 388.4K
$43.3K NOK 408.1K
-4.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$262 NOK 2,466
$265 NOK 2,497
-1.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.42 NOK 324
$33.19 NOK 312
3.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.6 NOK 749
$53.0 NOK 499
50.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.4 NOK 512
$39.18 NOK 369
38.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.43 NOK 352
$28.93 NOK 272
29.38%
Cinema Ticket
$22.32 NOK 210
$25.69 NOK 242
-13.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$331 NOK 3,112
$239 NOK 2,253
38.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.4K NOK 135.5K
$13.0K NOK 122.7K
10.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$129 NOK 1,218
$102 NOK 956
27.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.9 NOK 573
$55.5 NOK 523
9.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$147 NOK 1,383
$125 NOK 1,181
17.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$204 NOK 1,919
$157 NOK 1,473
30.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 NOK 15.9K
$777 NOK 7,310
117.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,367 NOK 12.9K
$700 NOK 6,592
95.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,768 NOK 26.1K
$1,239 NOK 11.7K
123.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,987 NOK 18.7K
$1,048 NOK 9,864
89.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,409 NOK 60.3K
$6,024 NOK 56.7K
6.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,282 NOK 49.7K
$4,115 NOK 38.7K
28.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stavanger
Kristiansund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,084 NOK 47.9K
$3,708 NOK 34.9K
37.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.24
4.94
6.07%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Stavanger: October 18, 2026

Last update for Kristiansund: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
$1.4K
Kristiansund
$700 48.8% $666
Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
$528
Kristiansund
$487 7.9% $42
Eating Out
Stavanger
$446
Kristiansund
$389 12.9% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
$376
Kristiansund
$351 6.5% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
$243
Kristiansund
$198 18.9% $46
Getting Around
Stavanger
$122
Kristiansund
$125 2% $2.5
Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
$99
Kristiansund
$91 8.5% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,691 in Stavanger and $777 in Kristiansund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 37% 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: $96.0 in Stavanger vs $105 in Kristiansund. Groceries flip the comparison at $528 vs $487, with Kristiansund cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Stavanger
🇳🇴 Kristiansund
🕒 Local time
22:31 10:31 PM
22:31 10:31 PM
Same time as Stavanger
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,330
24,505
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stavanger Kristiansund 470 km
From you
  • Stavanger
  • Kristiansund

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Stavanger and in Kristiansund?
Stavanger and Kristiansund differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($3,182 vs $2,340 including rent). Kristiansund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Stavanger or Kristiansund?
Average pay runs 37% higher in Stavanger, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Stavanger and in Kristiansund?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,691 in Stavanger versus $777 in Kristiansund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kristiansund – a meal for two runs $105 versus $96.0 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,340 in Kristiansund versus $3,182 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.
How does quality of life compare between Stavanger and Kristiansund?
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.
Is Stavanger or Kristiansund safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Stavanger or Kristiansund?
Expats usually find Kristiansund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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