Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Skien Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Skien

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,773 per month in Stavanger vs $2,347 in Skien, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,121 per month in Stavanger vs $3,223 in Skien, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,469 per month in Stavanger vs $4,098 in Skien, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 18% more than Skien, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Stavanger and Skien sit above the global median – Stavanger by 108%, Skien by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 NOK 243

$28.93 NOK 279

-13.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,193

$99.7 NOK 961

24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 149

$13.15 NOK 127

17.64%

Cappuccino

$5.09 NOK 49.08

$4.94 NOK 47.68

3.04%

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

$3.97 NOK 38.27

$2.52 NOK 24.31

57.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.99

$2.23 NOK 21.50

53.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 109

$9.22 NOK 88.9

22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 96.8

$9.88 NOK 95.2

1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 23.46

$1.94 NOK 18.68

25.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 NOK 29.28

$3.41 NOK 32.91

-10.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 43.38

$3.33 NOK 32.11

35.14%

Eggs

$4.44 NOK 42.80

$4.22 NOK 40.65

5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 125

$11.58 NOK 112

11.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 NOK 155

$14.14 NOK 136

13.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.22 NOK 262

$25.44 NOK 245

7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.48

$3.75 NOK 36.15

-7.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.45

$2.26 NOK 21.76

12.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.92

$3.27 NOK 31.49

-5.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.89

$4.02 NOK 38.77

18.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.79

$2.22 NOK 21.44

-2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.77

$2.12 NOK 20.42

45.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.12

$3.00 NOK 28.90

-13.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.78

$1.89 NOK 18.26

-7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 NOK 144

$19.24 NOK 185

-22.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 NOK 173

$15.31 NOK 148

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 33.68

$3.29 NOK 31.75

6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.93

$3.86 NOK 37.21

7.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 45.02

$2.67 NOK 25.76

74.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 NOK 660

$43.34 NOK 418

57.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 NOK 145

$35.68 NOK 344

-57.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 NOK 20.77

$1.45 NOK 13.93

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 976

$100 NOK 967

0.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 21.00

$2.18 NOK 21.01

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

$34.5K NOK 332.5K

$25.6K NOK 247.1K

34.59%

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

$33.2K NOK 319.8K

$35.6K NOK 343.7K

-6.94%

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

$191 NOK 1,842

$98.7 NOK 951

93.61%

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

$43.05 NOK 415

$38.06 NOK 367

13.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 790

$38.32 NOK 370

113.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 540

$37.33 NOK 360

49.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.99 NOK 337

$35.73 NOK 345

-2.07%

Cinema Ticket

$19.39 NOK 187

$13.95 NOK 135

39.00%

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

$315 NOK 3,038

$307 NOK 2,957

2.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

$10.2K NOK 98.4K

25.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,152

$39.71 NOK 383

200.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 576

$35.38 NOK 341

68.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,029

$90.2 NOK 869

18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,552

$152 NOK 1,464

6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

$971 NOK 9,366

66.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

$976 NOK 9,407

16.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 NOK 26.2K

$1,122 NOK 10.8K

142.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

$914 NOK 8,817

90.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,982 NOK 57.7K

$3,335 NOK 32.2K

79.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NOK 49.7K

$3,041 NOK 29.3K

69.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 NOK 47.7K

$4,036 NOK 38.9K

22.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.8

18.68%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 13, 2026

Last update for Skien: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,617 in Stavanger versus $971 in Skien. 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 23% 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 $100 in Skien. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $466 vs $431 – making Skien 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 Skien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stavanger is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,159 per month in Stavanger and $3,520 in Skien. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $124 in Stavanger and $100 in Skien. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,773 in Stavanger and $2,347 in Skien. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Skien, where all-in costs run around $2,347, than in Stavanger at $2,773. In Skien it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skien – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Skien. 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.