Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sarpsborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sarpsborg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,802 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,162 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,521 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Sarpsborg 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$40.12 NOK 378

-38.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$107 NOK 1,010

29.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$19.57 NOK 184

-18.96%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$5.76 NOK 54.2

-1.39%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$2.90 NOK 27.37

83.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$2.65 NOK 25.01

70.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$8.82 NOK 83.2

45.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$11.73 NOK 111

-9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.36 NOK 22.24

-1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$3.30 NOK 31.09

18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$3.76 NOK 35.40

-5.05%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$5.08 NOK 47.90

30.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$12.87 NOK 121

16.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$15.59 NOK 147

12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$29.86 NOK 281

19.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.49 NOK 32.90

15.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.78 NOK 26.16

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.60 NOK 33.90

1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$4.52 NOK 42.58

21.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.60 NOK 24.51

-1.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$2.98 NOK 28.08

10.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$3.11 NOK 29.30

-5.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.33 NOK 21.97

-18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$19.68 NOK 185

-7.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$17.86 NOK 168

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$3.61 NOK 34.03

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.32 NOK 40.74

1.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$2.70 NOK 25.46

89.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$77.7 NOK 732

16.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$10.98 NOK 104

14.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.95 NOK 18.39

0.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$73.9 NOK 696

0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.18 NOK 20.53

8.72%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$45.0K NOK 423.6K

9.18%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$40.2K NOK 378.5K

10.14%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$273 NOK 2,571

5.70%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$30.00 NOK 283

4.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$59.3 NOK 559

32.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$51.4 NOK 484

-10.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$32.10 NOK 302

36.07%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$16.91 NOK 159

16.14%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$253 NOK 2,384

-3.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

-7.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$97.1 NOK 915

10.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$52.2 NOK 492

3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$113 NOK 1,065

10.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$182 NOK 1,711

-6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

19.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,038 NOK 9,785

6.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

54.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

28.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

23.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

19.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

73.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.18

2.51%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,257 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 73% 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: $139 in Bergen vs $107 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $486 per month, with Sarpsborg 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

Bergen vs Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,257 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $253 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

For families, Sarpsborg is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Sarpsborg 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 Sarpsborg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.