Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and San Jose, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Stavanger: $3,138 a month against $4,378 in San Jose, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Jose, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index
211

Cost of Living Index in San Jose, CA
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San Jose, CA Living Index

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Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,138

/mo nomad

San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in San Jose, CA

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 San Jose, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,138 in Stavanger versus $4,378 in San Jose, CA.

Stavanger $3,138
San Jose, CA $4,378

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,570 in Stavanger versus $6,147 in San Jose, CA.

Stavanger $4,570
San Jose, CA $6,147

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,002 in Stavanger versus $7,916 in San Jose, CA.

Stavanger $6,002
San Jose, CA $7,916

Living in Stavanger costs roughly 28% less than in San Jose, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 132% above, San Jose, CA 224% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 NOK 233

$22.37 $22.37

10.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 NOK 901

$99.9 $99.9

-4.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.96 NOK 150

$11.95 $11.95

33.56%

Cappuccino

$6.23 NOK 58.6

$5.95 $5.95

4.71%

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

$5.20 NOK 48.94

$3.22 $3.22

61.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NOK 40.09

$2.34 $2.34

82.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.68 NOK 129

$9.08 $9.08

50.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.94 NOK 112

$9.83 $9.83

21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 22.95

$1.66 $1.66

46.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 NOK 33.10

$4.55 $4.55

-22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 36.29

$4.01 $4.01

-3.99%

Eggs

$4.72 NOK 44.40

$5.89 $5.89

-19.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.37 NOK 135

$19.91 $19.91

-27.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 NOK 157

$14.27 $14.27

16.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.66 NOK 336

$22.06 $22.06

61.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.59

$5.15 $5.15

-32.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.19

$1.92 $1.92

44.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.79

$5.63 $5.63

-39.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NOK 46.33

$5.58 $5.58

-11.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.42

$3.64 $3.64

-31.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.05

$2.88 $2.88

3.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 NOK 26.63

$2.46 $2.46

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.09

$2.48 $2.48

-5.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.60 NOK 166

$11.73 $11.73

50.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.73 NOK 176

$15.70 $15.70

19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 NOK 35.21

$2.44 $2.44

53.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 NOK 41.58

$3.38 $3.38

30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.64 NOK 43.68

$2.45 $2.45

89.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 NOK 792

$89.3 $89.3

-5.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 NOK 57.1

$3.52 $3.52

72.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NOK 16.01

$2.97 $2.97

-42.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 961

$30.48 $30.48

235.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 22.85

$1.51 $1.51

60.93%

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

$48.3K NOK 455.1K

$36.3K $36.3K

33.17%

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

$42.0K NOK 395.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

64.80%

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

$249 NOK 2,346

$273 $273

-8.73%

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

$34.59 NOK 326

$47.11 $47.11

-26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 762

$84.3 $84.3

-4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 473

$142 $142

-64.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 NOK 347

$24.45 $24.45

50.55%

Cinema Ticket

$21.38 NOK 201

$16.89 $16.89

26.58%

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

$320 NOK 3,014

$1,829 $1,829

-82.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

$39.2K $39.2K

-63.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,183

$59.3 $59.3

111.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 553

$50.4 $50.4

16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 NOK 1,406

$98.7 $98.7

51.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 NOK 1,865

$122 $122

63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 NOK 16.0K

$3,133 $3,133

-45.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 NOK 12.8K

$2,665 $2,665

-49.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,735 NOK 25.7K

$4,768 $4,768

-42.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 NOK 19.2K

$4,128 $4,128

-50.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,207 NOK 58.4K

$9,009 $9,009

-31.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,292 NOK 49.8K

$9,111 $9,111

-41.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,011 NOK 47.2K

$6,253 $6,253

-19.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

6.67

-20.99%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.2%

San Jose, CA

$2.7K 60.9% 96.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Stavanger

$517 16.5%

San Jose, CA

$493 11.3% 4.7% $24

Eating Out

Stavanger

$450 14.4%

San Jose, CA

$374 8.5% 17.1% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stavanger

$365 11.6%

San Jose, CA

$404 9.2% 10.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Stavanger

$239 7.6%

San Jose, CA

$148 3.4% 38% $91

Getting Around

Stavanger

$117 3.7%

San Jose, CA

$117 2.7% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Stavanger

$93 3%

San Jose, CA

$176 4% 89.1% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Stavanger and $3,133 in San Jose, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose, CA pays 25% 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: $96.0 in Stavanger vs $100 in San Jose, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $517 vs $493, with San Jose, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

09:17 9:17 AM

9 h behind Stavanger

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,330

1,035,317

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Stavanger San Jose, CA 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Stavanger
San Jose, CA

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 San Jose, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in San Jose, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stavanger the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in San Jose, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Stavanger versus $3,133 in San Jose, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Stavanger runs roughly 6% less than in San Jose, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $320 in Stavanger versus $1,829 in San Jose, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Stavanger delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,138 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Stavanger hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and San Jose, CA 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 39% less than in San Jose, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.