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: $2,773 in Stavanger versus $2,965 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,121 in Stavanger versus $4,410 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,469 in Stavanger versus $5,854 in Tromso.

Living in Stavanger costs roughly 6% less than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 108% above, Tromso 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 NOK 243

$33.12 NOK 320

-24.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,196

$121 NOK 1,166

2.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 150

$14.95 NOK 144

3.48%

Cappuccino

$5.09 NOK 49.21

$6.11 NOK 59.1

-16.69%

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

$3.97 NOK 38.36

$4.51 NOK 43.63

-11.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 33.08

$3.36 NOK 32.46

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 109

$11.31 NOK 109

-0.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 97.0

$11.00 NOK 106

-8.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 23.52

$2.49 NOK 24.11

-2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 NOK 29.36

$3.19 NOK 30.85

-4.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 43.49

$3.47 NOK 33.55

29.68%

Eggs

$4.44 NOK 42.90

$4.86 NOK 47.00

-8.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 125

$11.61 NOK 112

11.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 NOK 156

$15.21 NOK 147

5.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.22 NOK 263

$37.68 NOK 364

-27.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.57

$3.86 NOK 37.27

-10.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.51

$2.81 NOK 27.19

-9.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.99

$3.56 NOK 34.46

-12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 46.01

$5.16 NOK 49.84

-7.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.84

$2.98 NOK 28.85

-27.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.84

$3.56 NOK 34.41

-13.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.18

$2.68 NOK 25.93

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.83

$1.75 NOK 16.94

-0.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 NOK 144

$15.11 NOK 146

-1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 NOK 174

$18.35 NOK 177

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 33.76

$3.64 NOK 35.14

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 40.03

$4.55 NOK 43.94

-9.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 45.14

$4.69 NOK 45.31

-0.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 NOK 661

$59.5 NOK 575

14.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 NOK 145

$12.71 NOK 123

18.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 NOK 20.82

$1.09 NOK 10.51

97.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 978

$50.8 NOK 491

99.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 21.06

$2.23 NOK 21.59

-2.24%

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

$34.5K NOK 333.4K

$33.1K NOK 319.8K

4.26%

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

$33.2K NOK 320.6K

$36.6K NOK 353.6K

-9.33%

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

$191 NOK 1,846

$252 NOK 2,434

-24.14%

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

$43.05 NOK 416

$47.54 NOK 460

-9.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 792

$75.9 NOK 733

7.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 541

$47.75 NOK 462

17.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.99 NOK 338

$39.56 NOK 382

-11.55%

Cinema Ticket

$19.39 NOK 187

$16.45 NOK 159

17.87%

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

$315 NOK 3,046

$334 NOK 3,224

-5.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.6K

$7,348 NOK 71.0K

73.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,155

$91.0 NOK 880

31.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 578

$33.49 NOK 324

78.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,031

$134 NOK 1,292

-20.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,556

$133 NOK 1,282

21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

$1,352 NOK 13.1K

19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 11.0K

$1,258 NOK 12.2K

-9.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 NOK 26.3K

$2,549 NOK 24.6K

6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

$1,815 NOK 17.5K

-4.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,982 NOK 57.8K

$8,817 NOK 85.2K

-32.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NOK 49.8K

$5,188 NOK 50.1K

-0.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 NOK 47.8K

$4,066 NOK 39.3K

21.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.27

5.62%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tromso: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,617 in Stavanger and $1,352 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $124 in Stavanger vs $121 in Tromso. Groceries flip the comparison at $466 vs $502, with Stavanger cheaper for home cooking.

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

Stavanger is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,617 in Stavanger versus $1,352 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,773 per month in Stavanger versus $2,965 in Tromso – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Stavanger runs roughly 15% less than in Tromso. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Stavanger is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tromso, 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.

Expats usually find Stavanger gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.