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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,744 per month in Stavanger vs $2,391 in Sandefjord, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,187 per month in Stavanger vs $3,522 in Sandefjord, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,629 per month in Stavanger vs $4,654 in Sandefjord, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 15% more than Sandefjord, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stavanger and Sandefjord sit above the global median – Stavanger by 105%, Sandefjord by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$19.02 NOK 177

34.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,125

$103 NOK 955

17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 143

$13.53 NOK 126

13.16%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.13

$5.03 NOK 46.80

2.78%

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

$4.04 NOK 37.65

$2.47 NOK 23.01

63.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.27

$2.13 NOK 19.87

62.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 104

$9.37 NOK 87.2

19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 95.6

$10.15 NOK 94.5

1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.78

$2.20 NOK 20.45

11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.09

$3.02 NOK 28.12

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 42.47

$2.80 NOK 26.08

62.86%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 41.54

$3.69 NOK 34.38

20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 122

$11.51 NOK 107

13.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 156

$16.60 NOK 155

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 253

$35.29 NOK 328

-23.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.33

$2.71 NOK 25.21

32.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.85

$2.23 NOK 20.73

14.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 27.78

$2.35 NOK 21.85

26.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.92

$3.67 NOK 34.18

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.46

$2.11 NOK 19.61

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.76

$2.22 NOK 20.67

39.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.31

$2.64 NOK 24.61

-5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 16.85

$1.90 NOK 17.65

-4.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 143

$14.49 NOK 135

6.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 178

$13.56 NOK 126

41.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.77

$3.70 NOK 34.48

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 38.47

$4.23 NOK 39.42

-2.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 43.40

$4.95 NOK 46.05

-5.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 624

$71.8 NOK 668

-6.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 139

$10.06 NOK 93.7

48.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$1.40 NOK 13.04

51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 929

$63.4 NOK 590

57.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.00

$2.21 NOK 20.53

-2.71%

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

$34.0K NOK 316.4K

$35.6K NOK 331.6K

-4.57%

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

$32.8K NOK 305.1K

$35.8K NOK 333.1K

-8.42%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$220 NOK 2,044

-12.81%

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

$42.73 NOK 398

$42.75 NOK 398

-0.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 763

$38.61 NOK 359

112.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 520

$47.95 NOK 446

16.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 332

$35.33 NOK 329

0.88%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 182

$12.87 NOK 120

51.59%

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

$318 NOK 2,963

$287 NOK 2,667

11.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 118.9K

$4,768 NOK 44.4K

167.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,109

$103 NOK 956

16.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 543

$46.87 NOK 436

24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 983

$99.9 NOK 930

5.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,463

$140 NOK 1,308

11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 14.9K

$1,205 NOK 11.2K

33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.4K

$970 NOK 9,030

14.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 25.7K

$1,447 NOK 13.5K

90.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

$1,256 NOK 11.7K

38.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 57.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 50.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 46.5K

$4,123 NOK 38.4K

21.09%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Stavanger versus $1,205 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 21% 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 $121 in Stavanger versus $103 in Sandefjord. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $454 – 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 15% 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 $4,117 per month in Stavanger and $3,587 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 7% less in Sandefjord. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $318 per month in Stavanger and $287 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 $2,744 in Stavanger and $2,391 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 $2,391 versus $2,744 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.