Coastal townsNorway2026
Norway Coastal Towns
Stavanger, Kristiansand and Ålesund were the most booked of the 20 coastal towns in Norway on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, with an estimated 15,664, 10,198 and 8,053 stays. July is the busiest month across them, and the typical stay is 5.4 nights.
Figures are AirROI estimates. How they are made
Among the 9 towns with 200+ homes
- Most booked of these 9
- Stavanger 15,664 stays
- Highest revenue per home of these 9
- Vestvågøy kr 237,408 a year
- Highest rated of these 9
- Sandefjord 4.86 out of 5
- Lowest nightly rate of these 9
- Bodø kr 1,639 a night
- Longest typical stay of these 9
- Kristiansand 5.9 nights
Ranking
Norway Coastal Towns Ranked by Airbnb Stays
Every one of the coastal and beach towns in Norway with 100 or more Airbnb homes and recent stays, most booked first.
| 1 | Stavanger, Rogaland | 15,664 | kr 1,880 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kristiansand, Agder | 10,198 | kr 2,170 |
| 3 | Ålesund, Møre og Romsdal | 8,053 | kr 2,035 |
| 4 | Vestvågøy, Nordland. Includes Leknes and Stamsund. | 7,168 | kr 2,237 |
| 5 | Bodø, Nordland | 5,349 | kr 1,639 |
| 6 | Sandefjord, Vestfold og Telemark | 3,330 | kr 1,871 |
| 7 | Tønsberg, Vestfold og Telemark | 3,251 | kr 1,987 |
| 8 | Arendal, Agder | 3,166 | kr 2,584 |
| 9 | Svolvær, Nordland | 3,024 | kr 2,160 |
| 10 | Larvik, Vestfold og Telemark | 2,149 | kr 2,006 |
| 11 | Harstad, Troms og Finnmark | 2,147 | kr 1,649 |
| 12 | Haugesund, Rogaland | 1,926 | kr 1,427 |
| 13 | Grimstad, Agder | 1,897 | kr 1,938 |
| 14 | Farsund, Agder | 1,786 | kr 1,774 |
| 15 | Moss, Viken | 1,522 | kr 1,900 |
| 16 | Lyngdal, Agder | 1,453 | kr 1,900 |
| 17 | Færder, Vestfold og Telemark. Includes Tjøme and Nøtterøy. | 1,341 | kr 2,228 |
| 18 | Lillesand, Agder | 1,286 | kr 2,237 |
| 19 | Risør, Agder | 1,137 | kr 2,257 |
| 20 | Kragerø, Vestfold og Telemark | 1,085 | kr 2,247 |
Figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and stays count Airbnb bookings only. Typical stay is a booking's length, occupancy the share of available nights booked, and revenue the yearly average per home, before costs. Guest rating is out of 5. Airbnb data files some places as one district or township, so Vestvågøy and rows like it cover several towns.
Money figures on this page are in Norwegian kroner, converted from US dollars at kr 9.64 per US$, the typical rate from November 2025 to October 2026.
By region
Stays and Top Town by Region
| Region | Stays | Top town |
|---|---|---|
| Agder | 20,923 | Kristiansand |
| Rogaland | 17,590 | Stavanger |
| Nordland | 15,541 | Vestvågøy |
| Vestfold og Telemark | 11,156 | Sandefjord |
| Møre og Romsdal | 8,053 | Ålesund |
| Troms og Finnmark | 2,147 | Harstad |
| Viken | 1,522 | Moss |
Town by town
Where the Top Towns Stand Out
4 of 8 are busiest in August. Kristiansand, Vestvågøy, Sandefjord and Arendal peak in July. Among guests who left a review, Norway is the top home country in 7 of the 8. Apartments and condos are the largest home type in 5 of the 8. The lines below add what the table can't show, where one of the 8 most booked towns leads its peers or differs from the rest.
- Stavanger, Rogaland
Of the 9 coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, Stavanger (Rogaland) had the most Airbnb homes, at 1,011, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- Kristiansand, Agder
Of the 9 coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, Kristiansand (Agder) had the longest typical stay, at 5.9 nights, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- Ålesund, Møre og Romsdal
Of the 9 coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, Ålesund (Møre og Romsdal) had the biggest share of apartments and condos, at 69%, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 4Vestvågøy, Nordland
Of the 9 coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, Vestvågøy (Nordland) had the highest occupancy, at 42%, and was booked furthest ahead, about 80 days before arrival, in the 12 months to October 2026. Houses were the largest home type in Vestvågøy, at 46% of homes. Among guests who left a review, France was the top home country for Vestvågøy, at 17%.
- 5Bodø, Nordland
Of the 9 coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, Bodø (Nordland) had the lowest nightly rate, at kr 1,639, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 6Sandefjord, Vestfold og Telemark
Of the 9 coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, Sandefjord (Vestfold og Telemark) had the highest guest rating, at 4.86, and had the biggest share of houses, at 47%, in the 12 months to October 2026.
- 8Arendal, Agder
Of the 9 coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, Arendal (Agder) had the highest nightly rate, at kr 2,584, in the 12 months to October 2026. Houses were the largest home type in Arendal, at 44% of homes.
When to go
Busiest and Quietest Months
July, August and June rank as the busiest months for Airbnb nights across the coastal towns in Norway, and February and January as the quietest. July is the busiest month in 14 of the 20, while Stavanger, Ålesund and Bodø peak in August. Across the 20 towns, nightly rates run lowest in January, at about kr 1,832, and highest in July, at about kr 2,218. Across the 20 towns, stays run longest in July, at 6.2 nights, and shortest in September, at 4.1 nights.
July ranks first, January last
Airbnb months in calendar order. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.
- Three busiest months
- Other months
Month by month: rank, typical stay and nightly rate
| Rank | Month | Typical stay | Nightly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July | 6.2 nights | kr 2,218 |
| 2 | August | 4.5 nights | kr 2,199 |
| 3 | June | 5.3 nights | kr 2,170 |
| 4 | September | 4.1 nights | kr 2,083 |
| 5 | May | 5.4 nights | kr 1,938 |
| 6 | October | 4.3 nights | kr 1,890 |
| 7 | December | 5.0 nights | kr 1,861 |
| 8 | March | 5.1 nights | kr 1,861 |
| 9 | November | 4.4 nights | kr 1,871 |
| 10 | April | 5.3 nights | kr 1,890 |
| 11 | February | 4.8 nights | kr 1,842 |
| 12 | January | 4.9 nights | kr 1,832 |
Who comes
Where Guests Come From
Among guests who left a review, 61% come from abroad. Among those guests, the largest groups from abroad come from Germany, France and the United States. The top home cities among those guests are Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. Vestvågøy (Nordland) draws the most from abroad, at 94%, among towns with 200 or more homes.
Top countries abroad
Among guests who left a review
Top home cities
Among guests who left a review
61% from abroad
The money view
Revenue, Occupancy and Nightly Rate
Among the 9 towns with 200 or more Airbnb homes, Vestvågøy has the highest estimated revenue per home, at kr 237,408 a year. Of those 9, Vestvågøy has the highest occupancy, at 42%, and Bodø has the lowest nightly rate on Airbnb, at kr 1,639. The most booked of the 20, Stavanger, earns about kr 140,840 per home.
Highest revenue per home of these 9
A year, AirROI estimate
- Vestvågøy kr 237,408
Nordland
- Ålesund kr 153,473
Møre og Romsdal
- Stavanger kr 140,840
Rogaland
- Bodø kr 136,684
Nordland
- Kristiansand kr 135,961
Agder
Highest occupancy of these 9
Nights booked, AirROI estimate
- Vestvågøy 42%
Nordland
- Bodø 38%
Nordland
- Kristiansand 38%
Agder
- Ålesund 37%
Møre og Romsdal
- Stavanger 37%
Rogaland
Lowest nightly rate of these 9
On Airbnb, AirROI estimate
- Bodø kr 1,639
Nordland
- Sandefjord kr 1,871
Vestfold og Telemark
- Stavanger kr 1,880
Rogaland
- Tønsberg kr 1,987
Vestfold og Telemark
- Larvik kr 2,006
Vestfold og Telemark
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular coastal town in Norway?
By AirROI's estimates, Stavanger (Rogaland) is the most booked of the 20 coastal towns in Norway, with 15,664 Airbnb stays in the 12 months to October 2026. Kristiansand is second, with 10,198. This counts Airbnb bookings only.
What is the most affordable coastal town in Norway?
By AirROI's estimated nightly rate on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, among coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, the lowest are Bodø (Nordland) (kr 1,639), Sandefjord (Vestfold og Telemark) (kr 1,871) and Stavanger (Rogaland) (kr 1,880). That is the average asking price on booked nights, not what it costs to live or buy there.
What are some small coastal towns in Norway?
By AirROI's count of active Airbnb homes as of October 2026, the smallest of the 20 coastal towns it lists in Norway are Svolvær (Nordland) (107), Moss (Viken) (114) and Lillesand (Agder) (116). AirROI's list starts at 100 homes, so smaller places are not on it.
What coastal towns in Norway offer the strongest Airbnb returns?
Returns depend on what a home costs to buy and run, which AirROI's figures do not cover. On AirROI's estimated revenue per home in the 12 months to October 2026, among coastal towns in Norway with 200 or more homes, the highest are Vestvågøy (Nordland) (kr 237,408), Ålesund (Møre og Romsdal) (kr 153,473) and Stavanger (Rogaland) (kr 140,840). Among the same towns, Vestvågøy (Nordland) has the highest occupancy, at 42%.
Method
How These Lists and Numbers Are Made
How a town gets on this list. A town needs 100 or more Airbnb homes with recent stays. A language model then judges the place from its name, state, country and coordinates, not from words in its name: it has to be on an ocean or sea coast with its own beach, seafront or harbour, or on a Great Lake with a public beach, and within about 10 km of the shore. The town's own listings can back that up, with 30% of its homes listing beach access, or 10% with ocean views, waterfront homes or beach in their titles besides. A town whose listings do not gets a second, stricter check, which asks whether people go there for that or mainly for something else. Big cities stay off. Corrections come last: places the checks got wrong are added or taken off, and rows that name one place are joined.
How the figures are made. Stays, occupancy, nightly rate and revenue are AirROI estimates built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. A town's stays are its bookings in the period, and the typical stay and busiest month come from the same data. Guest ratings, home sizes and how far ahead guests book are the latest figures in each town's AirROI data. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 208,343 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. A town needs 1,000 reviews before this page gives its share from abroad.