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: $3,179 in Stavanger versus $2,675 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,668 in Stavanger versus $4,144 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,158 in Stavanger versus $5,613 in Lillestrom.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 131% above, Lillestrom 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.10 NOK 243

$21.84 NOK 203

19.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$124 NOK 1,157

-19.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.98 NOK 149

$11.47 NOK 107

39.32%

Cappuccino

$6.53 NOK 60.8

$6.21 NOK 57.8

5.15%

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

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.09 NOK 38.07

36.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NOK 42.31

$3.29 NOK 30.62

38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.62 NOK 127

$12.09 NOK 112

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.09 NOK 113

$10.79 NOK 100

12.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$2.50 NOK 23.27

-0.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.54

$5.05 NOK 47.00

-28.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 36.82

$4.20 NOK 39.08

-5.71%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.28

$5.88 NOK 54.8

-15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 NOK 136

$13.46 NOK 125

8.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.53 NOK 163

$14.15 NOK 132

23.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.75 NOK 333

$27.86 NOK 259

28.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.45

$3.64 NOK 33.89

1.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.59

$2.85 NOK 26.54

0.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.28

$4.17 NOK 38.77

-14.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 45.56

$5.30 NOK 49.33

-7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.24

$2.97 NOK 27.60

-12.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.49

$3.76 NOK 34.98

-15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NOK 27.01

$1.91 NOK 17.80

51.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.51

$2.30 NOK 21.43

0.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$18.05 NOK 168

-2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 NOK 178

$17.39 NOK 162

10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.82

$5.81 NOK 54.0

-33.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 NOK 42.86

$5.75 NOK 53.5

-19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.89 NOK 45.54

$4.85 NOK 45.12

0.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 811

$85.5 NOK 796

1.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 NOK 60.3

$13.06 NOK 122

-50.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.60

$1.91 NOK 17.74

-6.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 979

$62.2 NOK 579

68.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.64

$2.33 NOK 21.71

-0.43%

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

$48.7K NOK 453.4K

$48.6K NOK 451.9K

0.35%

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

$41.8K NOK 389.3K

$43.3K NOK 403.2K

-3.46%

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

$257 NOK 2,394

$237 NOK 2,203

8.68%

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

$35.59 NOK 331

$30.39 NOK 283

17.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 790

$56.4 NOK 525

50.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 NOK 490

$50.7 NOK 472

3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.90 NOK 343

$36.77 NOK 342

0.35%

Cinema Ticket

$22.33 NOK 208

$17.67 NOK 164

26.37%

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

$325 NOK 3,025

$316 NOK 2,944

2.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 133.8K

$12.3K NOK 114.2K

17.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,172

$101 NOK 944

24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 565

$56.4 NOK 525

7.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 NOK 1,443

$126 NOK 1,176

22.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 NOK 1,890

$162 NOK 1,511

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 NOK 16.2K

$1,300 NOK 12.1K

34.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 12.9K

$1,020 NOK 9,496

35.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 NOK 26.4K

$2,023 NOK 18.8K

40.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 NOK 19.0K

$1,686 NOK 15.7K

21.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,241 NOK 58.1K

$7,118 NOK 66.2K

-12.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 NOK 51.5K

$3,682 NOK 34.3K

50.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,111 NOK 47.6K

$3,787 NOK 35.2K

34.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.96

6.25%

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

Last update for Stavanger: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,746 in Stavanger and $1,300 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 35% 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: $100 in Stavanger vs $124 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $530 vs $516, with Lillestrom cheaper for home cooking.

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 19% 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.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Stavanger, 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: $1,746 in Stavanger versus $1,300 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Stavanger versus $316 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $2,675 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 19% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.