Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Tonsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonsberg: $2,630 a month against $3,182 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Tonsberg
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Tonsberg Living Index

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Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,182

/mo nomad

Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Tonsberg

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 Tonsberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Stavanger versus $2,630 in Tonsberg.

Stavanger $3,182
Tonsberg $2,630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,594 in Stavanger versus $3,815 in Tonsberg.

Stavanger $4,594
Tonsberg $3,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,007 in Stavanger versus $5,000 in Tonsberg.

Stavanger $6,007
Tonsberg $5,000

Living in Stavanger is roughly 21% more expensive than in Tonsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 135% above, Tonsberg 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.06 NOK 227

$20.94 NOK 197

14.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.0 NOK 904

$105 NOK 991

-8.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.68 NOK 148

$15.53 NOK 146

0.97%

Cappuccino

$6.18 NOK 58.2

$5.45 NOK 51.3

13.39%

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

$5.74 NOK 54.1

$5.61 NOK 52.8

2.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 42.48

$5.37 NOK 50.6

-16.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.04 NOK 132

$11.46 NOK 108

22.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.57 NOK 99.5

$10.27 NOK 96.7

2.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 NOK 23.72

$2.47 NOK 23.28

2.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 NOK 33.07

$3.72 NOK 35.01

-5.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 NOK 37.39

$3.85 NOK 36.24

3.12%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 45.06

$4.86 NOK 45.78

-1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 139

$12.96 NOK 122

13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.47 NOK 164

$15.73 NOK 148

11.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.08 NOK 340

$31.41 NOK 296

14.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.12

$3.22 NOK 30.33

9.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 NOK 26.71

$2.57 NOK 24.20

10.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.98

$3.38 NOK 31.79

6.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 NOK 46.50

$4.78 NOK 45.04

3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.64

$2.52 NOK 23.75

3.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 NOK 30.06

$2.79 NOK 26.26

14.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 25.91

$2.93 NOK 27.54

-6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.76

$2.35 NOK 22.15

-1.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.56 NOK 165

$17.24 NOK 162

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.06 NOK 179

$16.69 NOK 157

14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 NOK 35.97

$3.49 NOK 32.82

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 NOK 43.28

$4.14 NOK 38.94

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 NOK 44.26

$4.55 NOK 42.80

3.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 NOK 834

$84.5 NOK 795

4.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 NOK 59.6

$11.70 NOK 110

-45.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NOK 16.19

$1.78 NOK 16.77

-3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 973

$70.5 NOK 664

46.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.47

$2.35 NOK 22.13

1.70%

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

$49.2K NOK 462.7K

$47.7K NOK 448.8K

3.10%

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

$41.3K NOK 388.4K

$43.9K NOK 413.4K

-6.05%

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

$262 NOK 2,466

$267 NOK 2,513

-1.85%

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

$34.42 NOK 324

$33.09 NOK 312

4.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 NOK 749

$53.8 NOK 506

47.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 NOK 512

$49.11 NOK 462

10.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.43 NOK 352

$37.03 NOK 349

1.08%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 NOK 210

$17.21 NOK 162

29.69%

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

$331 NOK 3,112

$238 NOK 2,236

39.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 135.5K

$12.8K NOK 120.8K

12.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 NOK 1,218

$99.7 NOK 938

29.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 573

$55.8 NOK 525

9.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 NOK 1,383

$123 NOK 1,159

19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 NOK 1,919

$156 NOK 1,469

30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 NOK 15.9K

$1,187 NOK 11.2K

42.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 NOK 12.9K

$983 NOK 9,254

39.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,768 NOK 26.1K

$1,474 NOK 13.9K

87.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 NOK 18.7K

$1,277 NOK 12.0K

55.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,409 NOK 60.3K

$6,073 NOK 57.2K

5.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,282 NOK 49.7K

$4,046 NOK 38.1K

30.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,084 NOK 47.9K

$4,435 NOK 41.7K

14.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.24

4.94

6.07%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stavanger

$1.4K 43%

Tonsberg

$983 37.4% 28.1% $384

Groceries & Markets

Stavanger

$528 16.6%

Tonsberg

$490 18.6% 7.3% $39

Eating Out

Stavanger

$446 14%

Tonsberg

$401 15.3% 10.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stavanger

$376 11.8%

Tonsberg

$354 13.5% 5.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Stavanger

$243 7.7%

Tonsberg

$196 7.4% 19.7% $48

Getting Around

Stavanger

$122 3.8%

Tonsberg

$123 4.7% 0.8% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Stavanger

$99 3.1%

Tonsberg

$84 3.2% 15.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,691 in Stavanger and $1,187 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 15% 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 $105 in Tonsberg. Groceries flip the comparison at $528 vs $490, with Tonsberg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🇳🇴 Tonsberg

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

Same time as Stavanger

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,330

59,237

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Stavanger Tonsberg 260 km

From you

Stavanger
Tonsberg

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 Tonsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonsberg is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Stavanger, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,691 in Stavanger versus $1,187 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,182 per month in Stavanger versus $2,630 in Tonsberg – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tonsberg runs roughly 5% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Tonsberg is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tonsberg is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger and Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.