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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.31 NOK 328

$25.27 NOK 234

39.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 NOK 1,007

$97.7 NOK 906

11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.16 NOK 150

$16.20 NOK 150

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$6.89 NOK 64.0

$6.50 NOK 60.3

6.00%

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

$4.87 NOK 45.15

$5.65 NOK 52.4

-13.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 NOK 34.69

$4.62 NOK 42.85

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.76 NOK 118

$13.72 NOK 127

-7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.21 NOK 132

$12.21 NOK 113

16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.11

$2.39 NOK 22.16

4.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 NOK 32.44

$3.69 NOK 34.25

-5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 NOK 38.40

$4.04 NOK 37.50

2.48%

Eggs

$5.27 NOK 48.93

$5.03 NOK 46.67

4.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 NOK 115

$15.21 NOK 141

-18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 141

$17.62 NOK 163

-13.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.53 NOK 395

$35.78 NOK 332

18.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.14

$3.58 NOK 33.17

17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 28.50

$2.90 NOK 26.88

5.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 NOK 49.61

$3.63 NOK 33.71

47.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 NOK 59.4

$4.87 NOK 45.18

31.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.82

$2.62 NOK 24.32

35.11%

Onion (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 47.11

$3.24 NOK 30.03

56.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 NOK 28.93

$2.85 NOK 26.41

9.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 NOK 20.20

$2.31 NOK 21.43

-5.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.38 NOK 152

$17.75 NOK 165

-7.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 NOK 153

$18.90 NOK 175

-12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 NOK 37.62

$4.03 NOK 37.43

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 NOK 44.28

$4.53 NOK 42.06

5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.06 NOK 46.94

$4.75 NOK 44.10

6.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 NOK 642

$87.1 NOK 808

-20.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.36 NOK 152

$6.21 NOK 57.6

163.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 NOK 19.76

$1.80 NOK 16.70

18.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.6 NOK 534

$105 NOK 971

-45.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.02

$2.29 NOK 21.25

-0.87%

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

$49.6K NOK 460.4K

$50.3K NOK 466.2K

-1.25%

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

$45.6K NOK 422.8K

$43.0K NOK 398.5K

6.09%

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

$266 NOK 2,471

$261 NOK 2,424

1.94%

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

$51.3 NOK 476

$35.80 NOK 332

43.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 NOK 799

$85.6 NOK 794

0.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 NOK 481

$52.1 NOK 484

-0.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.90 NOK 444

$37.84 NOK 351

26.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 NOK 167

$22.77 NOK 211

-21.04%

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

$329 NOK 3,048

$332 NOK 3,079

-1.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,733 NOK 71.7K

$14.2K NOK 132.2K

-45.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 NOK 632

$127 NOK 1,182

-46.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.40 NOK 328

$61.6 NOK 571

-42.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 NOK 1,385

$156 NOK 1,447

-4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 NOK 1,532

$206 NOK 1,914

-19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 14.5K

$1,757 NOK 16.3K

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 NOK 12.0K

$1,393 NOK 12.9K

-6.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,781 NOK 25.8K

$2,793 NOK 25.9K

-0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 NOK 18.9K

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

-1.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,137 NOK 66.2K

$6,206 NOK 57.6K

15.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,526 NOK 51.3K

$5,375 NOK 49.9K

2.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,292 NOK 39.8K

$5,012 NOK 46.5K

-14.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.27

-4.93%

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

Last update for Tromso: September 5, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Tromso and $1,757 in Stavanger. 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: $109 in Tromso vs $98.0 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $554 vs $533 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

Tromso vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $1,558 in Tromso versus $1,757 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Tromso versus $332 in Stavanger. 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, Tromso 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.

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.