Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Sandefjord Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Sandefjord

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,179 per month in Stavanger vs $2,641 in Sandefjord, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,668 per month in Stavanger vs $3,855 in Sandefjord, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,158 per month in Stavanger vs $5,069 in Sandefjord, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 20% more than Sandefjord, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Sandefjord sit above the global median – Stavanger by 131%, Sandefjord by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.10 NOK 243

$21.59 NOK 201

20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 932

$131 NOK 1,217

-23.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.98 NOK 149

$16.14 NOK 150

-0.99%

Cappuccino

$6.53 NOK 60.9

$5.83 NOK 54.3

12.01%

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

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.30 NOK 40.10

29.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NOK 42.35

$2.16 NOK 20.11

110.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.62 NOK 127

$10.14 NOK 94.5

34.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.09 NOK 113

$10.85 NOK 101

11.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.19

$2.19 NOK 20.42

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.58

$2.74 NOK 25.52

31.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 36.86

$4.41 NOK 41.05

-10.20%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.34

$4.21 NOK 39.22

18.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 NOK 136

$15.07 NOK 140

-2.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.53 NOK 163

$15.47 NOK 144

13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.75 NOK 333

$30.38 NOK 283

17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.49

$2.20 NOK 20.50

68.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.62

$2.72 NOK 25.31

5.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.32

$2.24 NOK 20.88

59.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 45.61

$2.91 NOK 27.11

68.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.27

$1.10 NOK 10.29

136.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.53

$2.63 NOK 24.54

20.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$3.12 NOK 29.03

-7.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.54

$2.54 NOK 23.66

-9.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$16.39 NOK 153

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 NOK 179

$13.92 NOK 130

37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.86

$3.52 NOK 32.76

9.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 NOK 42.91

$4.30 NOK 40.07

7.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.89 NOK 45.59

$5.37 NOK 50.0

-8.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 812

$66.1 NOK 616

31.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 NOK 60.4

$12.05 NOK 112

-46.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.62

$1.85 NOK 17.25

-3.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 980

$50.4 NOK 469

108.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.66

$2.34 NOK 21.78

-0.85%

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

$48.7K NOK 454.0K

$48.4K NOK 450.8K

0.71%

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

$41.8K NOK 389.7K

$41.8K NOK 389.5K

0.07%

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

$257 NOK 2,397

$265 NOK 2,470

-2.95%

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

$35.59 NOK 332

$32.82 NOK 306

8.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 791

$56.6 NOK 527

50.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 NOK 490

$50.8 NOK 474

3.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.90 NOK 344

$59.7 NOK 556

-38.15%

Cinema Ticket

$22.33 NOK 208

$16.18 NOK 151

38.01%

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

$325 NOK 3,029

$245 NOK 2,283

32.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 134.0K

$4,965 NOK 46.3K

189.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,173

$102 NOK 948

23.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 566

$45.29 NOK 422

34.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 NOK 1,445

$82.3 NOK 766

88.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 NOK 1,893

$158 NOK 1,477

28.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 NOK 16.3K

$1,234 NOK 11.5K

41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 12.9K

$1,021 NOK 9,514

35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 NOK 26.5K

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

79.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 NOK 19.0K

$1,345 NOK 12.5K

51.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,241 NOK 58.1K

$6,303 NOK 58.7K

-0.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 NOK 51.5K

$3,734 NOK 34.8K

48.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,111 NOK 47.6K

$3,997 NOK 37.2K

27.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.38

20.32%

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

Last update for Stavanger: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,746 in Stavanger versus $1,234 in Sandefjord. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Stavanger, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Stavanger versus $131 in Sandefjord. Groceries tell a different story – $530 in Stavanger vs $454 in Sandefjord – so Sandefjord wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Sandefjord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger costs about 20% more than Sandefjord, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,768 per month in Stavanger and $3,961 in Sandefjord. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sandefjord, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Sandefjord. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $325 per month in Stavanger and $245 in Sandefjord. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,179 in Stavanger and $2,641 in Sandefjord. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sandefjord costs $2,641 versus $3,179 in Stavanger. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sandefjord. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.