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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,773 per month in Stavanger vs $2,465 in Sandefjord, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,121 per month in Stavanger vs $3,546 in Sandefjord, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,469 per month in Stavanger vs $4,627 in Sandefjord, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 13% more than Sandefjord, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Sandefjord sit above the global median – Stavanger by 108%, Sandefjord by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 NOK 243

$18.94 NOK 183

32.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,193

$103 NOK 992

20.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 149

$13.55 NOK 131

14.17%

Cappuccino

$5.09 NOK 49.08

$4.89 NOK 47.19

4.09%

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

$3.97 NOK 38.27

$2.46 NOK 23.68

61.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.99

$2.16 NOK 20.78

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 109

$8.97 NOK 86.5

25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 96.8

$9.87 NOK 95.2

1.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 23.46

$2.19 NOK 21.09

10.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 NOK 29.28

$3.03 NOK 29.19

0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 43.38

$2.74 NOK 26.44

64.23%

Eggs

$4.44 NOK 42.80

$3.56 NOK 34.29

24.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 125

$11.36 NOK 110

14.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 NOK 155

$16.37 NOK 158

-1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.22 NOK 262

$34.28 NOK 331

-20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.48

$2.86 NOK 27.58

21.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.45

$2.28 NOK 21.98

11.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.92

$2.31 NOK 22.29

34.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.89

$3.60 NOK 34.71

32.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.79

$2.07 NOK 19.98

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.77

$2.22 NOK 21.45

39.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.12

$2.63 NOK 25.36

-0.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.78

$1.91 NOK 18.39

-8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 NOK 144

$14.30 NOK 138

4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 NOK 173

$13.11 NOK 126

37.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 33.68

$3.71 NOK 35.73

-5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.93

$4.11 NOK 39.66

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 45.02

$5.08 NOK 49.02

-8.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 NOK 660

$69.8 NOK 673

-1.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 NOK 145

$10.15 NOK 97.9

48.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 NOK 20.77

$1.46 NOK 14.10

47.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 976

$62.7 NOK 604

61.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 21.00

$2.11 NOK 20.35

3.32%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.5K

$35.7K NOK 344.6K

-3.50%

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

$33.2K NOK 319.8K

$35.3K NOK 340.2K

-5.99%

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

$191 NOK 1,842

$222 NOK 2,144

-14.08%

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

$43.05 NOK 415

$44.21 NOK 426

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 790

$38.50 NOK 371

112.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 540

$48.70 NOK 470

14.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.99 NOK 337

$35.19 NOK 339

-0.57%

Cinema Ticket

$19.39 NOK 187

$12.85 NOK 124

50.89%

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

$315 NOK 3,038

$286 NOK 2,754

10.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

$4,812 NOK 46.4K

165.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,152

$104 NOK 1,000

15.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 576

$46.60 NOK 449

28.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,029

$102 NOK 987

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,552

$140 NOK 1,350

14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

$1,239 NOK 11.9K

30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

$992 NOK 9,562

14.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 NOK 26.2K

$1,483 NOK 14.3K

83.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

$1,263 NOK 12.2K

37.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,982 NOK 57.7K

$6,234 NOK 60.1K

-4.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NOK 49.7K

$3,514 NOK 33.9K

46.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 NOK 47.7K

$3,850 NOK 37.1K

28.46%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,617 in Stavanger versus $1,239 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 $124 in Stavanger versus $103 in Sandefjord. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $466 vs $448 – making Sandefjord the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 13% 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 $4,159 per month in Stavanger and $3,697 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 2% less in Sandefjord. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $315 per month in Stavanger and $286 in Sandefjord. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sandefjord, where all-in costs run around $2,465, than in Stavanger at $2,773. In Sandefjord it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sandefjord costs $2,465 versus $2,773 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.