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: $2,741 in Stavanger versus $2,539 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,135 in Stavanger versus $3,976 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,530 in Stavanger versus $5,413 in Lillestrom.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 8% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Lillestrom 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 NOK 234

$20.83 NOK 194

20.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$100 NOK 931

21.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 NOK 140

$10.92 NOK 102

38.00%

Cappuccino

$4.98 NOK 46.28

$4.84 NOK 45.03

2.89%

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

$4.03 NOK 37.46

$2.42 NOK 22.51

66.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.18

$2.16 NOK 20.05

55.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.18 NOK 104

$8.90 NOK 82.7

25.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 95.2

$10.21 NOK 95.0

0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.02

$2.17 NOK 20.16

9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$3.38 NOK 31.44

-10.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 NOK 41.64

$3.17 NOK 29.53

41.32%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 40.46

$4.14 NOK 38.52

5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 NOK 123

$11.38 NOK 106

16.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.31 NOK 152

$13.98 NOK 130

16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.77 NOK 258

$24.65 NOK 229

12.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.92

$3.11 NOK 28.96

13.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.32 NOK 21.57

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.90

$3.28 NOK 30.47

-8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 43.33

$4.17 NOK 38.79

11.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.73

$2.20 NOK 20.49

-3.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.59

$2.22 NOK 20.64

33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$2.01 NOK 18.67

24.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.39

$1.82 NOK 16.90

-3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 139

$13.97 NOK 130

7.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$17.08 NOK 159

10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.68

$3.18 NOK 29.60

13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 37.00

$4.06 NOK 37.78

-1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 NOK 41.34

$4.18 NOK 38.87

6.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 NOK 630

$73.2 NOK 681

-7.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 NOK 141

$5.05 NOK 46.95

199.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 NOK 20.17

$1.39 NOK 12.93

56.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 942

$61.6 NOK 573

64.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.91

$2.20 NOK 20.45

-2.73%

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

$34.2K NOK 317.7K

$34.4K NOK 319.7K

-0.63%

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

$32.6K NOK 303.0K

$30.7K NOK 285.2K

6.24%

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

$193 NOK 1,796

$60.9 NOK 566

217.18%

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

$42.05 NOK 391

$44.30 NOK 412

-5.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 NOK 768

$37.96 NOK 353

117.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 NOK 527

$70.3 NOK 653

-19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.06 NOK 335

$18.02 NOK 168

100.11%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 182

$14.92 NOK 139

31.17%

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

$322 NOK 2,992

$233 NOK 2,168

37.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 122.8K

$4,128 NOK 38.4K

219.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,116

$96.0 NOK 893

25.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 556

$47.15 NOK 439

26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$98.8 NOK 919

5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,473

$178 NOK 1,653

-10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 NOK 15.2K

$1,220 NOK 11.3K

34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 NOK 10.6K

$1,212 NOK 11.3K

-5.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 NOK 25.7K

$2,525 NOK 23.5K

9.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 NOK 16.7K

$2,246 NOK 20.9K

-20.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,956 NOK 55.4K

$5,923 NOK 55.1K

0.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,337 NOK 49.6K

$4,555 NOK 42.4K

17.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,925 NOK 45.8K

$3,858 NOK 35.9K

27.66%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Stavanger and $1,220 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 28% 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 $100 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $425 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 8% 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 28% 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: $1,639 in Stavanger versus $1,220 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Stavanger versus $233 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 $2,539 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 8% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.