Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Stavanger

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.

127

Cost of Living Index in Tonsberg
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Tonsberg Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,630

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tonsberg and in Stavanger

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tonsberg and in Stavanger actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Tonsberg $2,630
Stavanger $3,182

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

Tonsberg $3,815
Stavanger $4,594

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

Tonsberg $5,000
Stavanger $6,007

Living in Tonsberg costs roughly 17% less than in Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 NOK 197

$24.06 NOK 227

-12.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 NOK 991

$96.0 NOK 904

9.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.53 NOK 146

$15.68 NOK 148

-0.96%

Cappuccino

$5.45 NOK 51.3

$6.18 NOK 58.2

-11.81%

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

$5.61 NOK 52.8

$5.74 NOK 54.1

-2.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 NOK 50.6

$4.51 NOK 42.48

19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.46 NOK 108

$14.04 NOK 132

-18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 96.7

$10.57 NOK 99.5

-2.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 NOK 23.28

$2.52 NOK 23.72

-1.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 NOK 35.01

$3.51 NOK 33.07

5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 36.24

$3.97 NOK 37.39

-3.02%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.78

$4.79 NOK 45.06

1.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 122

$14.72 NOK 139

-11.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 NOK 148

$17.47 NOK 164

-9.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 296

$36.08 NOK 340

-12.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.33

$3.52 NOK 33.12

-8.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 24.20

$2.84 NOK 26.71

-9.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.79

$3.61 NOK 33.98

-6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 NOK 45.04

$4.94 NOK 46.50

-3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.75

$2.62 NOK 24.64

-3.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.26

$3.19 NOK 30.06

-12.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 NOK 27.54

$2.75 NOK 25.91

6.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.15

$2.31 NOK 21.76

1.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.24 NOK 162

$17.56 NOK 165

-1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 NOK 157

$19.06 NOK 179

-12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.82

$3.82 NOK 35.97

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 38.94

$4.60 NOK 43.28

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 NOK 42.80

$4.70 NOK 44.26

-3.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 NOK 795

$88.6 NOK 834

-4.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 NOK 110

$6.33 NOK 59.6

84.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.77

$1.72 NOK 16.19

3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.5 NOK 664

$103 NOK 973

-31.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 22.13

$2.39 NOK 22.47

-1.67%

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

$47.7K NOK 448.8K

$49.2K NOK 462.7K

-3.00%

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

$43.9K NOK 413.4K

$41.3K NOK 388.4K

6.44%

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

$267 NOK 2,513

$262 NOK 2,466

1.88%

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

$33.09 NOK 312

$34.42 NOK 324

-3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 NOK 506

$79.6 NOK 749

-32.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.11 NOK 462

$54.4 NOK 512

-9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.03 NOK 349

$37.43 NOK 352

-1.07%

Cinema Ticket

$17.21 NOK 162

$22.32 NOK 210

-22.89%

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

$238 NOK 2,236

$331 NOK 3,112

-28.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 120.8K

$14.4K NOK 135.5K

-10.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 NOK 938

$129 NOK 1,218

-22.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 NOK 525

$60.9 NOK 573

-8.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,159

$147 NOK 1,383

-16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,469

$204 NOK 1,919

-23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 NOK 11.2K

$1,691 NOK 15.9K

-29.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 NOK 9,254

$1,367 NOK 12.9K

-28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 NOK 13.9K

$2,768 NOK 26.1K

-46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 NOK 12.0K

$1,987 NOK 18.7K

-35.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,073 NOK 57.2K

$6,409 NOK 60.3K

-5.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,046 NOK 38.1K

$5,282 NOK 49.7K

-23.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,435 NOK 41.7K

$5,084 NOK 47.9K

-12.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.24

-5.73%

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

Last update for Tonsberg: October 18, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tonsberg

$983 37.4%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43% 39% $384

Groceries & Markets

Tonsberg

$490 18.6%

Stavanger

$528 16.6% 7.9% $39

Eating Out

Tonsberg

$401 15.3%

Stavanger

$446 14% 11.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tonsberg

$354 13.5%

Stavanger

$376 11.8% 6.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Tonsberg

$196 7.4%

Stavanger

$243 7.7% 24.5% $48

Getting Around

Tonsberg

$123 4.7%

Stavanger

$122 3.8% 0.8% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Tonsberg

$84 3.2%

Stavanger

$99 3.1% 18.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Tonsberg and $1,691 in Stavanger. 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: $105 in Tonsberg vs $96.0 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $528, with Tonsberg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Tonsberg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,237

149,330

💱 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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Tonsberg Stavanger 260 km

From you

Tonsberg
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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

Tonsberg vs Stavanger: 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.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Stavanger. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,630 per month in Tonsberg versus $3,182 in Stavanger – 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, Tonsberg and Stavanger 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.