Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,218 in Stavanger versus $3,387 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,673 in Stavanger versus $4,974 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,128 in Stavanger versus $6,560 in Oslo.

Living in Stavanger costs roughly 5% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 133% above, Oslo 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.27 NOK 234

$21.27 NOK 197

18.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 NOK 906

$128 NOK 1,185

-23.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.20 NOK 150

$16.44 NOK 153

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$6.50 NOK 60.3

$5.90 NOK 54.7

10.17%

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

$5.65 NOK 52.4

$4.24 NOK 39.33

33.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NOK 42.85

$3.57 NOK 33.09

29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 NOK 127

$12.07 NOK 112

13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.21 NOK 113

$12.80 NOK 119

-4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.16

$2.58 NOK 23.90

-7.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 NOK 34.25

$4.34 NOK 40.29

-14.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 NOK 37.50

$4.62 NOK 42.88

-12.55%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.67

$6.15 NOK 57.1

-18.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 141

$14.72 NOK 137

3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.62 NOK 163

$15.54 NOK 144

13.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.78 NOK 332

$30.93 NOK 287

15.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.17

$3.35 NOK 31.04

6.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.88

$2.79 NOK 25.89

3.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.71

$3.47 NOK 32.23

4.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 45.18

$5.99 NOK 55.5

-18.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.32

$2.69 NOK 24.95

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 30.03

$2.88 NOK 26.76

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.41

$3.26 NOK 30.22

-12.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.43

$2.56 NOK 23.76

-9.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.75 NOK 165

$19.43 NOK 180

-8.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 NOK 175

$17.04 NOK 158

10.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 37.43

$3.60 NOK 33.38

11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.06

$4.32 NOK 40.08

4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 NOK 44.10

$4.98 NOK 46.20

-4.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 808

$86.3 NOK 800

0.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 NOK 57.6

$12.52 NOK 116

-50.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.70

$1.92 NOK 17.80

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 971

$70.6 NOK 655

48.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.25

$2.26 NOK 20.96

1.33%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.2K

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

3.20%

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

$43.0K NOK 398.5K

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

-5.15%

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

$261 NOK 2,424

$424 NOK 3,932

-38.35%

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

$35.80 NOK 332

$32.72 NOK 304

9.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.6 NOK 794

$57.1 NOK 530

50.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NOK 484

$60.3 NOK 559

-13.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.84 NOK 351

$29.67 NOK 275

27.54%

Cinema Ticket

$22.77 NOK 211

$19.71 NOK 183

15.53%

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

$332 NOK 3,079

$252 NOK 2,336

31.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 132.2K

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

-12.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,182

$104 NOK 963

22.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 571

$62.7 NOK 582

-1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 NOK 1,447

$134 NOK 1,247

15.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 NOK 1,914

$162 NOK 1,502

27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 NOK 16.3K

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

-14.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 NOK 12.9K

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

-9.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 NOK 25.9K

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

-7.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

-10.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,206 NOK 57.6K

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

-49.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,375 NOK 49.9K

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

-24.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,012 NOK 46.5K

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

9.10%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Stavanger and $2,043 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Stavanger vs $128 in Oslo. Groceries flip the comparison at $533 vs $523, with Oslo 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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,757 in Stavanger versus $2,043 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,218 per month in Stavanger versus $3,387 in Oslo – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Stavanger runs roughly 1% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Stavanger is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Stavanger is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Oslo 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 Stavanger gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.