Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Tromso Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Tromso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,218 in Stavanger versus $3,207 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,673 in Stavanger versus $4,683 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,128 in Stavanger versus $6,158 in Tromso.

Monthly costs are close between Stavanger and Tromso; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 133% above, Tromso 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.27 NOK 234

$35.31 NOK 328

-28.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 NOK 906

$109 NOK 1,007

-10.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.20 NOK 150

$16.16 NOK 150

0.25%

Cappuccino

$6.50 NOK 60.3

$6.89 NOK 64.0

-5.66%

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

$5.65 NOK 52.4

$4.87 NOK 45.15

16.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NOK 42.85

$3.74 NOK 34.69

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 NOK 127

$12.76 NOK 118

7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.21 NOK 113

$14.21 NOK 132

-14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.16

$2.49 NOK 23.11

-4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 NOK 34.25

$3.50 NOK 32.44

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 NOK 37.50

$4.14 NOK 38.40

-2.42%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.67

$5.27 NOK 48.93

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 141

$12.44 NOK 115

22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.62 NOK 163

$15.21 NOK 141

15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.78 NOK 332

$42.53 NOK 395

-15.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.17

$4.22 NOK 39.14

-15.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.88

$3.07 NOK 28.50

-5.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.71

$5.35 NOK 49.61

-32.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 45.18

$6.40 NOK 59.4

-23.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.32

$3.54 NOK 32.82

-25.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 30.03

$5.08 NOK 47.11

-36.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.41

$3.12 NOK 28.93

-8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.43

$2.18 NOK 20.20

5.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.75 NOK 165

$16.38 NOK 152

8.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 NOK 175

$16.47 NOK 153

14.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 37.43

$4.06 NOK 37.62

-0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.06

$4.77 NOK 44.28

-5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 NOK 44.10

$5.06 NOK 46.94

-6.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 808

$69.2 NOK 642

25.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 NOK 57.6

$16.36 NOK 152

-62.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.70

$2.13 NOK 19.76

-15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 971

$57.6 NOK 534

81.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.25

$2.27 NOK 21.02

0.88%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.2K

$49.6K NOK 460.4K

1.26%

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

$43.0K NOK 398.5K

$45.6K NOK 422.8K

-5.74%

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

$261 NOK 2,424

$266 NOK 2,471

-1.91%

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

$35.80 NOK 332

$51.3 NOK 476

-30.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.6 NOK 794

$86.2 NOK 799

-0.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NOK 484

$51.9 NOK 481

0.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.84 NOK 351

$47.90 NOK 444

-21.00%

Cinema Ticket

$22.77 NOK 211

$17.98 NOK 167

26.64%

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

$332 NOK 3,079

$329 NOK 3,048

1.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 132.2K

$7,733 NOK 71.7K

84.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,182

$68.1 NOK 632

87.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 571

$35.40 NOK 328

73.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 NOK 1,447

$149 NOK 1,385

4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 NOK 1,914

$165 NOK 1,532

24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 NOK 16.3K

$1,558 NOK 14.5K

12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 NOK 12.9K

$1,296 NOK 12.0K

7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 NOK 25.9K

$2,781 NOK 25.8K

0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

$2,039 NOK 18.9K

1.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,206 NOK 57.6K

$7,137 NOK 66.2K

-13.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,375 NOK 49.9K

$5,526 NOK 51.3K

-2.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,012 NOK 46.5K

$4,292 NOK 39.8K

16.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.01

5.19%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tromso: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Stavanger and $1,558 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $98.0 in Stavanger vs $109 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $533 vs $554 per month, with Stavanger cheaper across the board.

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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,757 in Stavanger versus $1,558 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $332 in Stavanger versus $329 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tromso – a meal for two runs $109 versus $98.0 in Stavanger. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Tromso is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tromso 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 Tromso are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Tromso wins on affordability, Stavanger on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.