Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,744 in Stavanger versus $2,507 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in Stavanger versus $3,952 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,629 in Stavanger versus $5,397 in Lillestrom.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 9% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Lillestrom 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 241

$20.40 NOK 193

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,142

$103 NOK 974

17.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$10.73 NOK 101

42.68%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.88

$4.90 NOK 46.30

5.51%

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

$4.04 NOK 38.23

$2.46 NOK 23.21

64.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.77

$2.16 NOK 20.44

60.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 105

$9.21 NOK 87.1

21.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 97.1

$10.18 NOK 96.3

0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.13

$2.12 NOK 20.02

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.53

$3.27 NOK 30.88

-7.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.13

$3.31 NOK 31.31

37.76%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 42.19

$4.29 NOK 40.53

3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 124

$11.54 NOK 109

13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 158

$14.07 NOK 133

18.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 257

$24.22 NOK 229

12.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.85

$3.07 NOK 28.99

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.22

$2.31 NOK 21.84

10.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.21

$3.37 NOK 31.88

-11.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 43.59

$4.11 NOK 38.86

12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.76

$2.22 NOK 20.95

-5.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.21

$2.23 NOK 21.09

38.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.68

$1.97 NOK 18.62

26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 17.11

$1.84 NOK 17.43

-1.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 145

$14.29 NOK 135

7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 181

$16.97 NOK 160

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 34.29

$3.19 NOK 30.11

13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 39.06

$3.85 NOK 36.43

7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 44.07

$4.13 NOK 39.00

12.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 634

$72.8 NOK 688

-7.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 141

$5.17 NOK 48.84

189.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 20.05

$1.46 NOK 13.80

45.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 943

$60.4 NOK 571

65.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.31

$2.10 NOK 19.83

2.38%

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

$34.0K NOK 321.3K

$34.3K NOK 323.9K

-0.78%

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

$32.8K NOK 309.8K

$30.8K NOK 290.8K

6.52%

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

$191 NOK 1,809

$60.0 NOK 567

219.00%

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

$42.73 NOK 404

$43.22 NOK 409

-1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 774

$37.18 NOK 351

120.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 528

$71.7 NOK 677

-22.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 337

$17.55 NOK 166

103.08%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 184

$14.91 NOK 141

30.85%

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

$318 NOK 3,009

$240 NOK 2,266

32.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 120.7K

$4,228 NOK 40.0K

201.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,126

$97.4 NOK 921

22.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 551

$46.99 NOK 444

24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 998

$98.3 NOK 929

7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,486

$180 NOK 1,703

-12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 15.2K

$1,208 NOK 11.4K

32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.5K

$1,232 NOK 11.6K

-9.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 26.1K

$2,499 NOK 23.6K

10.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.4K

$2,191 NOK 20.7K

-20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.5K

$6,082 NOK 57.5K

1.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 51.4K

$4,440 NOK 42.0K

22.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 47.2K

$3,818 NOK 36.1K

30.75%

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 Lillestrom: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Stavanger and $1,208 in Lillestrom. 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 $103 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $472 vs $424 per month, with Lillestrom 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 Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lillestrom wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Stavanger. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lillestrom the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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 $1,208 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $318 in Stavanger versus $240 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lillestrom is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lillestrom delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,507 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lillestrom hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Lillestrom 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 Lillestrom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.