Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Lillehammer Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Lillehammer

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,218 per month in Stavanger vs $1,512 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,673 per month in Stavanger vs $2,439 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,128 per month in Stavanger vs $3,367 in Lillehammer, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 113% more than Lillehammer, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Lillehammer sit above the global median – Stavanger by 133%, Lillehammer by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.27 NOK 234

$17.00 NOK 158

48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 NOK 906

$87.2 NOK 808

12.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.20 NOK 150

$14.36 NOK 133

12.81%

Cappuccino

$6.50 NOK 60.3

$5.01 NOK 46.49

29.74%

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

$5.65 NOK 52.4

$3.66 NOK 33.94

54.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NOK 42.84

$2.49 NOK 23.08

85.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 NOK 127

$10.59 NOK 98.3

29.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.21 NOK 113

$7.58 NOK 70.3

61.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.16

$2.66 NOK 24.67

-10.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 NOK 34.24

$3.43 NOK 31.76

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 NOK 37.49

$3.71 NOK 34.36

8.89%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.66

$5.11 NOK 47.39

-1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 141

$13.41 NOK 124

13.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.62 NOK 163

$16.56 NOK 154

6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.78 NOK 332

$32.93 NOK 305

8.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.16

$3.91 NOK 36.26

-8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.87

$3.01 NOK 27.92

-3.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.70

$3.87 NOK 35.87

-6.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 45.17

$5.84 NOK 54.1

-16.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.31

$2.95 NOK 27.36

-11.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 30.02

$3.09 NOK 28.62

4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.41

$2.91 NOK 27.02

-2.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.42

$2.28 NOK 21.16

1.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.75 NOK 165

$18.07 NOK 168

-1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 NOK 175

$18.68 NOK 173

1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 37.42

$3.75 NOK 34.79

7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.05

$4.82 NOK 44.67

-6.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 NOK 44.09

$2.31 NOK 21.39

105.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 807

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 NOK 57.6

$9.64 NOK 89.4

-35.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.69

$1.66 NOK 15.35

8.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 971

$61.0 NOK 566

71.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.24

$2.35 NOK 21.78

-2.55%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.1K

$46.9K NOK 435.0K

7.15%

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

$43.0K NOK 398.4K

$45.8K NOK 424.4K

-6.14%

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

$261 NOK 2,423

$275 NOK 2,551

-5.00%

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

$35.80 NOK 332

$37.37 NOK 347

-4.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.6 NOK 794

$82.7 NOK 767

3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NOK 484

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.84 NOK 351

Cinema Ticket

$22.77 NOK 211

$20.66 NOK 192

10.21%

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

$332 NOK 3,078

$303 NOK 2,806

9.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 132.1K

$4,573 NOK 42.4K

211.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,182

$109 NOK 1,013

16.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 571

$53.1 NOK 492

16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 NOK 1,446

$123 NOK 1,137

27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 NOK 1,914

$159 NOK 1,470

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 NOK 16.3K

$1,087 NOK 10.1K

61.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 NOK 12.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 NOK 25.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,206 NOK 57.6K

$3,351 NOK 31.1K

85.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,375 NOK 49.8K

$1,384 NOK 12.8K

288.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,012 NOK 46.5K

$2,098 NOK 19.5K

138.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.32

-0.94%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lillehammer: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,757 in Stavanger versus $1,087 in Lillehammer. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 139% higher in Stavanger, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Stavanger versus $87.0 in Lillehammer. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $533 vs $520 – making Lillehammer the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lillehammer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger costs about 113% more than Lillehammer, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,827 per month in Stavanger and $2,268 in Lillehammer. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lillehammer, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Stavanger and $87.0 in Lillehammer. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Stavanger, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lillehammer, where all-in costs run around $1,512, than in Stavanger at $3,218. In Lillehammer it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lillehammer costs $1,512 versus $3,218 in Stavanger. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lillehammer. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.