Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Narvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Narvik: $2,530 a month against $3,248 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stavanger, Norway
Narvik, Norway
Stavanger
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,248
/mo nomad
Narvik
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Narvik

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stavanger and in Narvik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,248 in Stavanger versus $2,530 in Narvik.

  • Stavanger $3,248
  • Narvik $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,717 in Stavanger versus $3,868 in Narvik.

  • Stavanger $4,717
  • Narvik $3,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,186 in Stavanger versus $5,205 in Narvik.

  • Stavanger $6,186
  • Narvik $5,205

Living in Stavanger is roughly 28% more expensive than in Narvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 139% above, Narvik 86% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.67 NOK 227
$32.33 NOK 298
-23.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.0 NOK 903
$96.1 NOK 886
1.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.23 NOK 150
$16.33 NOK 151
-0.61%
Cappuccino
$6.22 NOK 57.3
$4.91 NOK 45.22
26.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.89 NOK 54.3
$3.00 NOK 27.62
96.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 NOK 41.73
$2.87 NOK 26.45
57.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.76 NOK 127
$11.76 NOK 108
17.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.62 NOK 97.9
$12.36 NOK 114
-14.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 NOK 23.30
$2.59 NOK 23.90
-2.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 NOK 32.43
$3.34 NOK 30.75
5.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.98 NOK 36.65
$2.71 NOK 24.97
46.86%
Eggs
$4.75 NOK 43.82
$5.24 NOK 48.33
-9.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.22 NOK 140
$12.24 NOK 113
24.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.54 NOK 162
$14.93 NOK 138
17.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$36.16 NOK 333
$23.20 NOK 214
55.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.53 NOK 32.55
$4.01 NOK 37.00
-11.97%
Banana (1kg)
$2.86 NOK 26.34
$2.20 NOK 20.26
30.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.62 NOK 33.36
$4.86 NOK 44.77
-25.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.93 NOK 45.44
$4.49 NOK 41.34
9.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 NOK 23.54
$2.65 NOK 24.46
-3.77%
Onion (1kg)
$3.11 NOK 28.68
$5.00 NOK 46.07
-37.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.90 NOK 26.70
$2.97 NOK 27.40
-2.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 NOK 21.48
$2.13 NOK 19.63
9.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.27 NOK 168
$16.63 NOK 153
9.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.94 NOK 175
$17.47 NOK 161
8.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.80 NOK 35.05
$3.52 NOK 32.40
7.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51 NOK 41.57
$3.84 NOK 35.39
17.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.75 NOK 43.74
$4.66 NOK 42.98
1.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.4 NOK 787
$92.8 NOK 855
-7.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.27 NOK 57.8
$16.25 NOK 150
-61.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 NOK 16.59
$2.19 NOK 20.17
-17.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$106 NOK 975
$54.6 NOK 503
93.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 NOK 22.72
$2.43 NOK 22.43
1.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.1K NOK 452.6K
$41.5K NOK 382.4K
18.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.2K NOK 389.1K
$38.0K NOK 350.1K
11.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$260 NOK 2,393
$267 NOK 2,459
-2.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.92 NOK 313
$50.6 NOK 466
-32.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.9 NOK 736
$86.3 NOK 795
-7.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 NOK 479
$56.6 NOK 522
-8.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.64 NOK 347
$26.50 NOK 244
42.04%
Cinema Ticket
$22.16 NOK 204
$18.00 NOK 166
23.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$325 NOK 2,999
$317 NOK 2,918
2.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K NOK 132.1K
$7,842 NOK 72.3K
82.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$130 NOK 1,195
$128 NOK 1,177
1.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.9 NOK 571
$35.69 NOK 329
73.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$151 NOK 1,390
$143 NOK 1,319
5.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$206 NOK 1,896
$170 NOK 1,570
20.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,805 NOK 16.6K
$942 NOK 8,687
91.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 NOK 13.2K
$745 NOK 6,863
91.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,895 NOK 26.7K
$1,668 NOK 15.4K
73.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,145 NOK 19.8K
$1,264 NOK 11.7K
69.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,468 NOK 59.6K
$5,411 NOK 49.9K
19.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,430 NOK 50.0K
$4,898 NOK 45.1K
10.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stavanger
Narvik
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,086 NOK 46.9K
$3,630 NOK 33.5K
40.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.24
5.01
4.59%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 25, 2026

Last update for Narvik: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stavanger
$1.4K
Narvik
$745 47.9% $684
Groceries & Markets
Stavanger
$530
Narvik
$463 12.8% $68
Eating Out
Stavanger
$452
Narvik
$474 4.7% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stavanger
$373
Narvik
$404 8.1% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Stavanger
$247
Narvik
$215 13% $32
Getting Around
Stavanger
$120
Narvik
$139 15.8% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Stavanger
$96
Narvik
$93 3.8% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Stavanger and $942 in Narvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 40% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $98 in Stavanger vs $96 in Narvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $463 per month, with Narvik cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Stavanger
🇳🇴 Narvik
🕒 Local time
02:42 2:42 AM
02:42 2:42 AM
Same time as Stavanger
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,330
14,183
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stavanger Narvik 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Stavanger
  • Narvik

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Narvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Narvik cheaper than Stavanger?
Narvik is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Stavanger or Narvik?
Average pay runs 40% higher in Stavanger, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Stavanger and Narvik?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,805 in Stavanger versus $942 in Narvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $325 in Stavanger versus $317 in Narvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Stavanger runs roughly 8% less than in Narvik. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Stavanger or in Narvik?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Narvik is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Stavanger or in Narvik?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Stavanger or Narvik?
Safety-wise, Stavanger and Narvik are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Narvik wins on affordability, Stavanger on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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