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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,744 per month in Stavanger vs $1,960 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,187 per month in Stavanger vs $2,971 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,629 per month in Stavanger vs $3,983 in Lillehammer, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 40% more than Lillehammer, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Lillehammer sit above the global median – Stavanger by 105%, Lillehammer by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$16.34 NOK 152

56.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,122

$80.2 NOK 745

50.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 142

$14.21 NOK 132

7.74%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.03

$4.77 NOK 44.31

8.39%

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

$4.04 NOK 37.57

$2.67 NOK 24.78

51.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.20

$2.25 NOK 20.95

54.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 104

$9.17 NOK 85.2

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 95.4

$6.46 NOK 60.1

58.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.73

$2.04 NOK 18.99

20.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.03

$2.05 NOK 19.04

47.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 42.38

$2.07 NOK 19.27

120.29%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 41.46

$3.06 NOK 28.44

45.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 122

$11.94 NOK 111

9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 155

$10.00 NOK 92.9

67.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 252

$27.85 NOK 259

-2.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.26

$3.57 NOK 33.20

0.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.80

$2.06 NOK 19.16

24.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 27.72

$2.68 NOK 24.94

11.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.83

$2.46 NOK 22.84

87.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.42

$1.56 NOK 14.46

33.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.70

$1.99 NOK 18.45

55.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$1.35 NOK 12.58

85.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 16.81

$2.52 NOK 23.40

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 143

$13.90 NOK 129

10.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 178

$16.10 NOK 150

18.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.70

$3.58 NOK 33.29

1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 38.39

$4.77 NOK 44.31

-13.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 43.31

$2.52 NOK 23.36

84.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 623

$53.3 NOK 495

25.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 139

$5.78 NOK 53.7

159.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 19.70

$1.05 NOK 9.73

101.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 927

$49.99 NOK 464

99.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 19.96

$2.12 NOK 19.72

1.42%

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

$34.0K NOK 315.8K

$31.3K NOK 290.3K

8.76%

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

$32.8K NOK 304.4K

$35.0K NOK 325.6K

-6.50%

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

$191 NOK 1,778

$319 NOK 2,963

-39.98%

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

$42.73 NOK 397

$42.04 NOK 391

1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 761

$35.65 NOK 331

129.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 519

$51.1 NOK 475

9.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 331

$35.67 NOK 331

-0.08%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 181

$12.09 NOK 112

61.37%

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

$318 NOK 2,957

$299 NOK 2,780

6.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 118.6K

$8,457 NOK 78.6K

50.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,107

$92.6 NOK 860

28.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 542

$30.77 NOK 286

89.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 981

$70.8 NOK 658

49.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,460

$132 NOK 1,228

18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 14.9K

$1,006 NOK 9,349

59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.4K

$595 NOK 5,532

87.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 25.6K

$1,847 NOK 17.2K

49.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.1K

$924 NOK 8,585

88.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 57.5K

$5,957 NOK 55.3K

3.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 50.5K

$2,675 NOK 24.9K

103.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 46.4K

$2,132 NOK 19.8K

134.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.32

4.40%

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

Last update for Stavanger: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lillehammer: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Stavanger versus $1,006 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 134% 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 $121 in Stavanger versus $80.0 in Lillehammer. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $388 – 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 40% 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 $4,117 per month in Stavanger and $2,940 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.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Stavanger and $80.0 in Lillehammer. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lillehammer, where all-in costs run around $1,960, than in Stavanger at $2,744. 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 $1,960 versus $2,744 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.